Daughters of Darkness
by celia.2018.more.writing
Summary: Narcissa Malfoy has an affair with Apollo, resulting in the birth of Clarissa "Clara" Jeanne Malfoy. Clara grows up with a Muggle/mortal family until she is eleven, when she discovers her true self. After this, she and her best friend Renee join in on adventures at Hogwarts and Camp Half Blood. K for minor language.
1. Prologue

" _No! For the last time, Lucius, I will not take the Dark Mark!" Narcissa cried. Ever since her son, Draco, had been born, her husband was only getting worse._

" _I'll curse you, Narcissa!"_

 _Narcissa raised her wand. "Expelliarmus." she laughed. "You never did learn to block that one, did you Lucius? You will never curse me. Dobby, my hat, please."_

" _Where are you going? We're in the middle of a huge storm, Narcissa, you can't go out like this!"_

" _If Muggles are, I think I will be alright, Lucius. Dobby, make sure Draco is still asleep."_

" _Yes, Mistress," the elf squeaked after handing Narcissa her hat._

 _As Narcissa was walking, she came across a tall man with a sort of glow about him. She smiled. "Apollo. How nice to see you."_

" _Narcissa."_

 _They walked along the deserted road. Even though it was Halloween, Lucius Malfoy always made sure that no Muggles ever came near. "I cannot believe your husband has not noticed yet. What are you, six months?"_

 _Narcissa nodded. "I think it's a girl."_

" _We have to stop meeting so frequently, your Lucius will figure something's up."_

" _I know."_

" _I can….speed up the process if you want. Make her grow faster. She could be born tonight, if you want. As the god of prophecy, I can tell you something's happening. It would be better for her to be born now. I can also speed up her growth. It will be important for her to start at Hogwarts in a certain year, Narcissa."_

" _Okay, I guess."_

" _Meet me at the Empire State Building in New York in ten minutes."_

 _Apollo summoned a sunbeam at his will. That always impressed Narcissa, his beautiful girlfriend. "Now apparate, and quickly," he whispered, and then he was off at the speed of light._

* * *

 _Narcissa had never been to the United States before, so she was a little scared. She saw the Empire State Building in front of her, but she only had a moment to look before her boyfriend whisked her away on his sunbeam. Suddenly they were in the woods on the outskirts of town. "You know this is safe. I am also the god of doctors, Cissa."_

 _Narcissa blushed. No one, not even Lucius, ever called her a pet name before she met Apollo._

 _A few minutes later, Narcissa was moaning. The baby was on the way. It was, in fact, a girl, and even then Narcissa knew that she would attract people the same way her father did. Apollo bent over his daughter, said something in ancient Greek, and his daughter transformed into a girl who was a year older. "Spend the night, Cissa? Before heading back, I mean?"_

" _What'll happen to her?"_

" _I know a family who've been wanting a girl for a long time. I think I can do it. I'll bring her to camp when she's old enough, and she'll go to Hogwarts when she's eleven."_

" _I love you, Apollo."_

" _Love you too, Cissa."_

* * *

" _Hello and here is your dose of the morning news, straight from Olympus. A special message to Narcissa Malfoy: Lily and James Potter are dead, but Voldemort could not manage to kill a little boy, Harry Potter, and was instead defeated himself. And, um, Lucius wants you home, right now! As for the weather, well that is up to Zeus, Poseidon, and-"_

" _Hermes! can't I have a night with my love and our daughter alone? For goodness sakes, how did you even find us?"_

" _Voldemort is dead? It can't be!" Cried Narcissa._

" _So this means something to you, does it?" Hermes asked._

" _I have to go. Her name is Clarissa Jeanne, Apollo. I hope this mortal, Muggle family takes good care of her. I love you. I'll send you an owl later explaining everything, but right now I need to go to Lucius." And she apparated on the spot, leaving Apollo wondering what could be so wrong she had to leave him._

* * *

 _ **A/N so this is the first chapter of Clara Malfoy. Let me know what you think.**_


	2. The First Discovery

**Clara POV**

My five older brothers were all out, leaving Hannah and me to do what we wanted. And in our case, that meant have a water fight.

"I'll get you for that, Chocolate EClara!" Hannah yelled as I snuck up on her with a water balloon.

"Not if I can help it, BanHannah Split!" I yelled back, firing my water gun at her.

* * *

Those were the good old days, before BanHannah Split and I were separated. She was two years younger than me, and our academic levels forced us to be in different schools. I was dyslexic and suffered from a pretty severe case of ADHD, while she was the top of her year in everything. She went to an advanced placement boarding school, while I went to the same public school that all my brothers had gone to. I had a few friends, but Jade Garrett was the only one who I really liked. She was really pretty, and her best class was biology. She was always dying her hair green. She loved plants and we had a special tree that we always hung out at on the playground. My other friends, well, they were less cool. Melissa Coffman and Allison Green were kind of mean, but Jade insisted that we had to keep them around for "security reasons." I wasn't really sure what that meant. And then there was Renee Sanderson. She was gorgeous, and all the boys were after her.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. Many of the boys chased after me, too. Renee was gorgeous, and I was hot. We were only ten, and we had both had boyfriends already. But Renee annoyed me to no end. She was always comparing herself to me, and making me break up with my boyfriends. She had a certain charismatic air about her, and she had strong power in her voice.

Today, Melissa and Allison were being really mean. I scored a goal in basketball when it happened. They were on the opposite team. Suddenly, they were growing bigger. Renee and I were still tiny, but Jade had somehow brought her tree into the room with her, and she had blended into it. Next thing I knew, Jade _was_ the tree. I yelled, startled, as it grew through the ceiling alongside the giant Melissa and Allison. "Mellie! Ali! You promised!" yelled Jade the tree. All the boys were cowering near one edge, and all the other girls were doing the same by the other edge. Renee and I looked at each other.

"Renee! Use your persuasive power! Get Melissa and Allison to stop!"

"I can't, Clara. I don't know how!"

"Just try it, Rennie! Please!"

Renee must've known I was serious, because only Jade had used her nickname before. I groaned, wishing could do something.

"Stop, giants! You're our friends, right? Mellie? Ali?"

"How dare you use our nicknames? How _dare_ you try to _charmspeak_ us?" Melissa called.

"Clarissa, Renee, run! They're Laestrygonian Giants, and they want to drag you to the Underworld!" Jade called.

"Our master….our master will bring you down, you silly little tree nymph! And as for you, demigods, you will die in Tartarus!" Allison yelled.

"The reinforcements are coming, Melissa, Allison. Be prepared to go down! And as for you two, run! You'll meet Clarisse in the front, and she'll help you understand everything! Go! Now! Renee, you know what to do!"

Renee gulped. "Clara, come on. We have to go!" My eyes glazed over, and I realized that Renee was in full control of me. She could make me do anything she wanted right now, and I would have to obey.

We rounded the corner and came upon a tall girl in armor. She raised her sword at us. "Demigods."

"Wh-who are you?" I stuttered.

"I must ask you that first. Full names?"

" _I'm_ Renee Andromeda Sanderson, and this loser is Clarissa Jeanne Bradley." Renee said before I could stop her. I ebowed her in the ribs. This girl could be one of _them_!

"I am Clarisse La Rue. I'm here to take you to a safe place for people like you. You two are both demigods, meaning that you each have a godly parent."

"But I live with both my parents!" Renee and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Hurry, idiots, there's no time! You two and the other new camper will need to answer to Luke and me until you are claimed, and curse the gods if your parent is Ares!"

I just wished these people would stop talking in code. I looked at Renee, who shook her head. "Well come on then, young demigods, what are you waiting for?" Clarisse yelled, taking us by surprise. I realized that like Renee, Clarisse was not someone to cross. She grabbed my right arm and Renee's left, and pulled us toward the door. There was a black car outside. "Well, what are you waiting for, get in!" Clarisse snarled, half shoving me into the car. There were two young men in the front. "Hi, my name's Luke Castellan and I will be your driver today. This is my brother Chris Rodriguez, and he will get you anything you want. Make yourself at home, we will arrive at Camp Half-Blood shortly."

Renee peered at Luke and Chris. "But you look nothing alike? How can you be brothers?"

"We are both sons of Hermes, but with different mothers," Chris said. He had a hard, stony face. Luke was blonde and looked a little like me, or like the brother I'd never had, except that he was tall and lean while I was average height, and a little overweight.

"Hermes….he's the god of mischief, right? And Ares is the god of...war?"

"Very good, Clara," Luke said. "My _father_ is indeed the god of mischief, and he's also the messenger god. And he is the god of the lost children, which is why you two and the new boy will be staying in our cabin until you are claimed. Speaking of which, do either of you have any idea of who your godly parent is? Or if it's your mother or father?"

"We told you earlier, we live with both our parents. Now take us back, pranksters!" Renee shouted. As had happened with me many times before, Luke immediately did what she said. Clarisse yelled at him.

"No, you idiot, I thought I taught you how to resist it! She's charmspeaking you, just like Drew Tanaka. Don't listen!"

Chris and Luke turned to face her. "Don't take them back, idiots!"

"Are you sure, Clarisse?"

"Keep driving! Oh well, we're here anyway. Get out, and make sure you aren't followed!"

"Who would follow us?" I asked

"The same ones who tried to attack you. The monsters!"

I blushed. Of course that was why we were here, how could I be so stupid? I looked around. We were surrounded by forest. "Now, run between those trees," Chris instructed. But even as we disappeared behind the trees, we heard a loud roar from behind us. There was a monster, but it wasn't after us. It was following a minivan.

"Chris, take them inside the boundary. We need to help the new kid, and Grover!" Clarisse yelled.

And then the monster threw something at Renee and me, and we blacked out.


	3. The Claiming

**Hey all. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Just so you know, main POV's will be Clara, Renee, and maybe a few others. All rights to JK Rowling and Rick Riordan, except for Clara and Renee and their Muggle/Mortal families and any other characters I make up.**

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

I woke up in a strange room. The first thing I noticed was a tall, unfamiliar boy standing above me. My first thought was, _man, he's ugly._ Then I realized he looked like a male version of Clara.

"Chiron, she's awake!" The boy called. "Hey. I'm Will Solace. Renee, right?"

"Who are you? How did I get here? How do you know my name? And where's Jade and Clara?"

"I'm Will Solace, a son of Apollo. You, Clara, and Percy Jackson were all attacked by the Minotaur. Clara and Percy came to three days after, but you've been out for six. We were worried about you, Renee. And as for Jade, she is really a tree nymph named Juniper. She lives in the forest with her tree. Usually we send Satyrs, but you and Clara were a special case."

"So who's _my_ godly parent? And who's this 'Percy Jackson' guy anyway?"

"Renee, we don't know who your godly parent is. Hopefully, you'll be claimed soon. And as for Percy, we think he's someone special. Maybe even a child of the Big Three."

"Big three?"

"Girl, you've got a lot to learn."

A horse-like creature had come up behind Will. "Will, would you show Clarissa around camp, please."

"Who are you? And I'm Renee, not Clarissa. And her name's Clara, or at least that's what she goes by. And who are you?"

"I am Chiron, trainer of heroes. And sorry, Renee. I'm forgetting who's who with the….crisis."

"Crisis?"

"Zeus's lightning bolt has been stolen. He blames Poseidon. We think….well, Renee, it's complicated. But it probably doesn't concern you."

I kind of sneered. "Probably?"  
"Never you mind, Renee. Will, can you please show her around?"

* * *

"And that's the forest, where you'll play capture the flag tonight, after dinner. But yeah, food. Go sit with Luke, at the Hermes table. That's where all the newbies sit. Oh, and try to avoid Clarisse. You won't like her cabin's Newbie Ritual. Pray to the gods you aren't a child of Ares."

I took a seat over by Clara, who was talking to Luke and someone I only assumed could be Percy.

"So, is capture the flag dangerous?" Clara was asking Luke.

"Yeah, very." I shuddered at the nonchalant way he said that, as if he couldn't care less if I were to live or die here.

"Um, Luke, how do I, um, order?" I asked, seeing that the others already had their food.

"Just say what you want, and it'll appear. Percy, show her."

"Blue pancakes!" Percy exclaimed, and blue pancakes appeared on his plate.

"Why blue? That's just weird."

"My mom….she was killed by the Minotaur, you know."

I gasped. Even though I didn't really like Percy, I felt sorry for him when he said that.

"Pizza and a-a banana split," Clara said through tears. I knew how she called her sister Hannah Banhannah Split. "Rennie, I might never see her again."

I'd never liked Clara much, but I put my arm around her just the same.

* * *

"Okay, the red team will be Annabeth, Percy, Ethan, Juniper, Grover, Percy, Silena, Luke, Clara, and Renee. The blue team will be Clarisse, Chris, Charles, Drew, Malcolm, Mitchell, and Lacey. Team captains are Annabeth and Clarisse. Go!" Chiron said. Clara smiled at me. I couldn't believe that Chiron had the nerve to put me with my childhood friends. I returned Clara's smile with a glare, then glared at Jade, or _Juniper_ , as I was supposed to call her now. The blonde girl, Annabeth, was giving directions. I had no idea what she was saying, but she told Percy to be the defense. Percy groaned. Obviously he didn't much like this Annabeth person. I agreed with him there.

I ran into the forest with Annabeth, Juniper, and Clara. We were ten minutes in and nowhere near finding the flag, when suddenly, a gigantic dog came out of nowhere. It ran right past me. Clara grabbed my arm. "Percy! The dog is heading straight toward him!"

I reluctantly followed her. I had no idea how to fight a giant dog, that was preposterous.

"Clarissa, what do I do?"

"Don't call me that, for one thing. And I don't know, try your charmspeak. We can't let that _thing_ get Percy."

By the time we got to Percy, the giant dog was attacking him and had nearly dragged him into the lake. Annabeth, Grover, Juniper, and that girl Silena were running quickly behind us. Luke, Chris, Clarisse, and some other kids were running toward us from the other way.

"Somebody help Percy!" Annabeth cried. "He'll drown!"

But a strange thing was happening. Percy was climbing out of the water as she spoke, and there was a glowing trident over him. Chiron came to him from behind me. Everyone was staring at Percy, who had no wounds from the hellhound.

"Hail Perseus Jackson!" Chiron called. "The son of Poseidon."

There was a lot of murmuring, but before I could catch any of it, I realized everyone had now turned their attention to me. A minute later, I realized why. There was a flock of doves circling me, and my ugly orange camp t-shirt was transforming into a beautiful yellow dress.

"And hail Renee Sanderson, daughter of Aphrodite!"

Silena ran up to me. "Welcome to cabin ten, sister. I think we'll be great friends. I'm Silena, the head counselor."

I scowled. "Aphrodite? What? I thought….never mind. Show me my cabin."

"Not just yet. I need to stay, I'm head counselor." Silena was so calm. I couldn't believe she was my sister. "Lacey, can you take her?"

Lacey nodded, and I turned to follow her, but not before a large sunbeam appeared near Clara. People were murmuring, and I caught the words, "Three in one night? What can this mean?"

"Wow, what a night, Camp Half-Blood. Three claims, from three different gods, in a single night! I think the three new demigods had better follow me to the Big House, and your head counselors too. Annabeth can fill in for Percy, since he is his own head counselor. Annabeth, I think it's time."

Annabeth nodded solemnly, and I followed her to find out what surprises would ruin my life next.

* * *

 **So, this was chapter three. What do you think? I am so excited for Hogwarts, but first: quests! I am not sure whether to make Renee a Huntress or not, I think it suits her. Renee is definitely a witch as well, and like Clara she has a *dark* past and family currently unbeknownst to her. Well, please review, I can't wait to hear what people think!**


	4. Two Quests for Three Demigods

**Clara POV**

* * *

"Percy, you and Annabeth should go first, we know more about your quest."

"Woah woah woah. A quest?"

Renee sneered at the girl who came behind her. "Clarisse, what are you doing here?"

Juniper was there, too, and the satyr, Grover. She smiled. "I've got them, Chiron. Rennie, Clarisse and Clara, you're going to be….well, you'll see."

Renee groaned, and I giggled nervously. Clarisse glared at me.

I hadn't noticed Percy and Chiron disappear into a room, but I saw them come out, Percy looking very nervous.

"Annabeth, will you take Percy and Grover somewhere to discuss this?"

Annabeth nodded solemnly, and started walking away.

"Now, Clarissa, Renee, Clarisse, come with me. We haven't been able to make heads or tails of your prophecy yet, but since you two showed up, we do know that you are the demigods of the prophecy." Chiron said.

"And I need them for a quest _because_ ….? Chiron, how many times have I told you, I can handle a quest by myself!"

"Clarisse, will you _ever_ shut up and listen to your elders?" Juniper asked. "I've had to put up with this attitude for years, guys, I wish you luck."

I shivered a little, worried. Juniper's tone of voice was definitely not reassuring. We walked back into a room, the same room that Percy Jackson had come out of moments before, looking so nervous. I gulped.

There was a lifeless, life-size doll and a giant leopard head. And suddenly the doll wasn't lifeless anymore.

* * *

" _Daughter of love, of war, of song_

 _Never able to get along_

 _Will they ever learn_

 _When they take that turn_

 _All one and the same_

 _Give the gods a good name._

 _But beware the traitor_

 _You'll wish you knew_

 _Will you heed this advice_

 _Don't discover him in you._

 _Go west, then south_

 _To find the object_

 _That will restore honor_

 _To the gods once more."_

* * *

This was definitely bad, but I didn't understand anything. Renee spoke up before I could get a word out, though.

"Chiron, all due respect, but _what_? How are we supposed to make heads or tails of this? I was knocked out for six days, woke up to find that I'm a freakin' _demigod_ , claimed three hours later, and now _this_! You _cannot_ expect _me_ to go peacefully with _them_ on a crazy _death mission_ where I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!"

Juniper stepped up behind her. "Rennie, please. Please, we're trying to figure this out."

"And _you_ , Juniper Garrett! You lied to me. We could have been killed by Melissa and Allison. You could've just told us _something_! Or maybe just taken us here, explained it all, without having to deal with Melissa and Allison at all. _Do not_ use my nickname, Juniper."

"Renee, please. She's still the same person we've known forever. So am I. So are you. The three of us, we can be closer than before."

"You're doing my job, Clara. I'm usually the one to talk you into things with my, um, what's it? Charmspeak, apparently." but Renee was smiling as she said this, and I was happy to see the glimpse of the friend she was at her best.

"Losers. Anyway, Chiron, so I'm the leader of this quest. What do we do?"

Chiron frowned. "Clarisse, I'm not sure if this quest has a leader. You three are all going to have to work together. Annabeth and I have pieced together that you'll probably want to try Mexico. You leave tomorrow, along with Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. You'll have to split up almost immediately after you leave camp though, six demigods are too many."

"Five demigods and a Satyr, you mean," Juniper piped up.

"Yes. You leave in the morning, so I suggest you get a good night's sleep."

I hadn't realized how tired I was. We met Will and Silena outside, and the second we saw them, we knew they had heard the prophecy beforehand. Silena was crying, and Will had his lips in a hard frown. Silena put her arm around Renee, and Will gave me an awkward hug. We walked toward our cabins together. Clarisse huffed behind us, and Juniper was between Renee and me. We reached Cabin Five first, which was a good thing, I couldn't stand to be near Clarisse any longer. I really just wanted to be with my friends who I had known forever. Juniper put her arm around me and her other around Renee. Then we got to cabin seven, which would apparently be my new home here. It was much nicer, and Will told me it looked like solid gold when the sun caught it just right, but now it was dark.

"We have a special bed just for you. I told the others you were coming, some of them might be waiting for you, but you'll meet most of them in the morning. And yes, feel free to call us your brothers and sisters." I smiled, then looked back at Renee and Juniper. I ran to hug them, my best friends in the world.

I ran inside and collapsed on my bed. It was much softer than the one in the Hermes cabin, and I smiled, grateful to Will for taking me in.

* * *

 **Narcissa POV:**

I picked up the phone down the street in the Muggle town of Bradbury. She had to be at the demigod camp by now, I thought. Why hadn't he called me? Did he still remember me?

Draco was at Hogwarts til the summer term finished out, and Lucius was away on "business," whatever that meant. I tried not to get too involved with his dark dealings. But Clarissa would be going to Hogwarts in the fall, and I just _had_ to know how my baby girl was doing. Not that she could ever know who she really was, though. I sighed and dialed the number he had given me, oh so many years ago. I couldn't believe I had never once called him. Well, actually, I could. With a son to take care of, and a secret to hide from my husband, it drove Clarissa and Apollo from my mind most days. Two rings, and I was so nervous, I was ready to put the phone down. The third ring, and I was considering running. In the middle of the fourth ring, someone picked up.

"Hello, Empire State Building. How may I help you?"

"Um…." Narcissa felt funny saying it. "Can you transfer me to Apollo on the, er, 600th floor."

"There is no 600th floor."

Apollo had told me what to do, of course. "My name is Narcissa, I'm a demigod parent. Apollo is my….my secret love."

"Right. Of course. I'll check if he's in his office."

I heard a beep, and then someone said, "Cissa! I'll be right with you!" I heard yelling on the other side, but it finally subsided and Apollo said into the phone, "why didn't you ever call?"

"I've been busy. My wizard son, and keeping you a secret from my husband, thinking about Clarissa Jeanne. Is she at the camp, Apollo?"

"She is, but….Cissa, she got a quest. And I believe there is another witch-demigod in her presence, goes by the name of Renee Sanderson. Neither of them know their true heritage. They were both adopted. I don't know Sanderson's real, wizard father, but her mother is Aphrodite. Clara's last name is Bradley, and the Bradleys are really good people. I know nothing about the Sandersons, though."

"A quest, Apollo? Will she even make it to Hogwarts?"

"I really, really hope so. I don't think it's as dangerous a quest as some. Who knows, you may even cross paths. I need to go, Artemis is mad at me again," he said suddenly. The phone hung up with a click, and I was left feeling even worse than before.

* * *

 **A/N: So that's chapter four. I admit that this will lean a little more to the Hogwarts side of things after Clara and Renee start. Also, just in case you were wondering, Clara does NOT fall in love with her brother, that would make me a sick writer with no sense of humor. This also isn't a Clara/Harry story, because I'm a very solid Hinny shipper. Also, as you can see, Clara and Renee are a year younger than Draco, Harry, and the gang. There** _ **is**_ **a reason for this, trust me.**


	5. Becoming Me

**Disclaimer: If I owned Percy Jackson, would I be trying to find a RPG for the series that's as good as some of the Harry Potter RPG's I'm involved in? If I owned Harry Potter, would I be involved in all those RPG's in the first place? All rights to Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

 **Renee POV**

* * *

I continued walking with Juniper and Silena. "Renee, I know this is all a shock, but if it makes it any better, call me Jade. I've been Jade for four years, to you. I want you to know that, like Clara said, we're all still the same people. And I really had thought that Allison and Melissa would be better."

"It's okay, Jade. I just need some time to….for all this to sink in, I guess. And Silena, thank you so much for being a great sister."

"I will warn you, some of the Aphrodite kids are a little mean. They should all be asleep by now, but you'd be best to avoid Drew Tanaka and her friends. Some Aphrodite girls only care about clothes and standards. I'll wake you up tomorrow, and hopefully they won't be up yet. Good luck, Renee."

"Thanks, Silena," I said as we walked up to cabin ten. I opened the door and collapsed on my bed without even undressing.

* * *

The next morning, Silena woke me up before sunlight. "Who in Hades are you?!" I yelled, and then I remembered everything."

"Shush, please. You don't want to wake Drew and her gang up! They don't like you now and they won't like you later, especially because Mom is here."

" _Aphrodite?"_ I yelped.

"Yeah. And Apollo. They have news. I suspect Clarisse and Ares will come as well."

"What time is it, Silena?"

"Near five."

"It's too early," I moaned, covering my face with my pillow.

"I'll call Mom to help you get dressed. She'll pick out something that matches your sleek, brown hair."

"My hair's not…." I looked in the mirror. Wow, my hair had stayed perfect all night! "Thanks Mom," I whispered. As soon as I said it, a sea green tank top appeared on my shoulders, and I had on stylish shorts as well. Practical and beautiful! I grinned.

"Okay, I'm a little more awake. I guess I'll meet Mom and Apollo now."

* * *

When I finally stepped out, Mom, Apollo, Ares, Chiron, Clarisse, Clara, and Will were waiting for me. Clarisse was glaring at Mom, and I could see why. Her tank top matched mine, except that it was red. Her hair was done up in a braid, and I couldn't help but giggle. Clara, on the other hand, was wearing a golden tank top with her hair done up in a messy bun. She seemed to love it.

"So, Dad, now that Sleeping Beauty is finally awake, what's up?" I was surprised at how chill Clara was being around Apollo.

"I need to tell you something about the prophecy. Every direction is reversed. Zeus did not wish me to tell you this, but I hope to aid my daughter and her partners." Apollo said grimly.

Ares and Aphrodite nodded.

"It may not be wise for Clarissa and Renee to go down the path it says to take. There are secrets hidden where you three are going, I'm afraid."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "What secrets, Sir? Enough with the code already."

Mom put her arm around me. "Renee, you will be greatly punished if Zeus finds out you know anything more than this." She met my eyes. "Good luck, Renee."

Silena hugged me. "Juniper's going to ride upstate with you, just to see you off. She's with Percy's team now, saying goodbye. You have about half an hour to get to work on that prophecy."

I walked out with Clara and Silena, Clarisse huffing along behind us. I knew we were going to the Big House to look at our prophecy more clearly.

* * *

" _Daughter of love, of war, of song_

 _Never able to get along_

 _Will they ever learn_

 _When they take that turn_

 _All one and the same_

 _Give the gods a good name._

 _But beware the traitor_

 _You'll wish you knew_

 _Will you heed this advice_

 _Don't discover him in you._

 _Go west, then south_

 _To find the object_

 _That will restore honor_

 _To the gods once more."_

Silena read the prophecy to us. "I don't get it, though," said Clara. "Isn't bringing honor to the gods and all that a _good_ thing? And 'beware the traitor,' isn't that something to follow?"

I pondered that for a minute, but Clarisse said, "Isn't it obvious, you birdbrains? He meant compass directions!"

"Hey!" I yelled. " _Don't_ call me a birdbrain. But….I think you have a point, Clarisse. I have a gut feeling that you're absolutely right. So where does this lead us? Definitely not Mexico. A caribbean island, maybe?"

"Nope, peabrain, any Caribbean islands would still be south!"

"Clarisse," I said, adding Charmspeak and venom to my words. "Please stop with the nicknames. But you're right of course. Hmm, maybe Greenland?"

"That doesn't sound right to me," Clara said, and I agreed. "Hold on, I'm getting something. Maybe….England?"

I nodded enthusiastically and even Clarisse gave a curt nod. "England it is, then," Silena said. She acted happy but I knew she couldn't be.

I knew our ride would be here any second. There _had_ to be some way of getting a ship, didn't there? I had never wanted to use my persuasive voice for something this big, but I thought it might be the only way. I whispered the idea to Clara, who frowned. "Well, if you must," she said at last. I worried about how it would go.

* * *

Argus was nice enough to drive us to a far-off port in Maine, in a town called Storybrooke **(1)**. Now, all I had to worry about was stealing the boat.

* * *

 **So, how did you like the chapter? Do you think Renee will really be able to steal the boat? Do you think the girls would ever become friends? And are you excited for Hogwarts?**

 **I have decided not to make Renee a Hunter. Also, Renee's father is Regulus Black, and she spent a couple years in the Lotus Casino as a baby so that she wouldn't age until the right time. I'm planning to work this in somehow. But anyway this means that Renee and Clara are second cousins, although they don't know it yet.**

 **(1)-Storybrooke is a reference to Once Upon A Time for all my Oncers out there-I couldn't resist!**


	6. The Quest Begins

_Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, would I be active daily on Snitchseeker? If I owned Percy Jackson, would I_ still _be trying to find good Percy Jackson RPG's? All rights to JK Rowling and Rick Riordan!_

* * *

 **Clara:**

Well, we were here at the farthest port going east that we could think of: Storybrooke, Maine. I decided it would be best not to talk to some of the people here, they seemed like weirdos. Or maybe that was Renee's muttering about strangers.

We quickly went to the docks, but there were barely any boats there. Soon, though, a man came up. Renee quickly put her voice into action.

"May we please borrow your boat?" Thick charmspeak

"How did you even cross the barrier? And no you may not. I know what you are."

"We are just three lost girls on our way to England to see our mother, who is ailing."

"Lost girls. I knew it. Now, get out of my sight!"

The man's eyes were glowing. Wait, THE MAN'S EYES WERE GLOWING!

"Let us on the boat or I'll fight you."

"Leave now, Daughter of Ares, or you will never have that option again."

I screamed. "How do you know who we are?"

"Clarissa Jeanne Bradley, I know more about you than you ever will yourself. I know that you pretended Hannah was your sister, but she and her family left you behind. Renee Andromeda Sanderson, I know that the Sandersons were never real. You've always pretended to have a family, but you never did. You can join me, or you can walk away. It is your choice."

Somehow, we all knew what came next. We looked at each other with a look that meant, "RUN."

I was flying. Was I going at the speed of light? Suddenly I felt myself lifted by a sunbeam. Clarisse and Renee were flung on behind me. "Haha, thanks Dad!" I yelled. Renee was grinning and even Clarisse gave a small smile. We were free. But soon we would need to find a boat. We couldn't just rely on a sunbeam!

And then suddenly we were falling, crashing through the trees. I hoped we would land on some kind of sunlit beach, but instead we were in a dirty city.

I heard groans and realized I had landed on top of Renee. She glared at me, and I quickly stumbled off of her. But Clarisse was already on her feet, and what she saw made her grin. I looked around. We were on a port, at a harbor. And there were boats galore.

"Ha!" Renee said. "At this rate, we don't even need to steal a boat! We can just hop one!"

"Not a bad idea, Renee!"

"Thanks." She slipped her hand into mine. I remembered how it used to be, on days that Melissa and Allison didn't come to school, when it had been just the three of us. I wished Juniper were with us now.

"Team, let's move!" Clarisse yelled. Renee and I exchanged a glance. _Did Clarisse just call us "team?"_

I put my arm around Renee and smiled. Even in the mix of all this chaos, I still had a part of my old life. I had the best dad in the world. Speaking of dads….

"Clarisse, do you have a cellphone? I should contact the Bradleys and let them know what happened." Did I just call them, "the Bradleys?" I guess I had accepted this. And hey, I had never really looked like the Bradleys. I wondered if they had known all along about me.

"Didn't I tell you? We never carry phones, we could be traced. Stupid little newbie."

"Well, then, is there a pay phone anywhere? The Bradleys are probably worried sick about her. They're a family, something I've only found with Clara and Jade recently! I would be worried sick about her if we got separated!"

"You would, Renee?" Strange, I had always got the impression she didn't like me.

"Of course. You've always been so nice to me, even when I didn't repay that."

I hugged Renee. "Alright, alright, girls, stop the love fest. Clarissa, I'll find you a pay phone."

"Thanks."

* * *

The phone picked up on the third ring. "Hi, this is the Bradley residence, may I ask who's calling?"

Darn, it was Tony, the most annoying of my five brothers. "Tony, it's me, Clara. Is Mom home?"

I'm not surprised when he says, "There is no Clara here. Just me, I live alone. My name is Tony Stark and I live alone. Nobody can know my secret."

"Shut up, Iron Man," I hear from somewhere in the room, and I am relieved. "Clara is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Ross?"

"Clara, we've been so worried about you! Why didn't you call?"

"Other stuff happened. Can I talk to Mom or Dad?"

"Oh, of course. But….do you need help? Are you hurt? Do you want us to come get you?"

"No, let me just talk to Mom."

"Okay. It's good to hear your voice, Clara."

I heard a click as the phone was switched to Mom. "Clara! Oh honey, we've been so worried! What happened?"

"Mom….I know."

"Know….oh. Clara, what do you want me to say?"

"Mom, I guess I always knew. I'm blonde with blue eyes, and I've never needed glasses. Everyone in our family except Tony wears glasses, and you're all brunettes. And, well, you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So, I'm on a quest, something demigods get, you know. Glory and danger and all of that. I'll be home soon, I promise."

"Only eleven….you're so young, Clara."

"Mom, before I leave, who was my birth mother?"

"Apollo never said, dear, only that you would have extraordinary powers. I hope she's someone who would make you proud."

"Do my brothers know?" I thought of Tony and Steven and Ross and Dallas and David. Tony was eight, the youngest. David was twenty, the oldest. They had been my only family until Apollo, and they all cared so much. Even though Tony was an annoying jerk, I loved him. Ross and Dallas, the 15 year old twins, were my favorites, although Ross was the best brother. Steven was just….Steven, not really anything to me.

"Dave knows. We told him recently because we knew that your time might come soon. Do you want me to tell the others?"

"No, I will when I get back."

"Okay. Call soon, love."

"I will, I'll try."

"Okay."

I hung up, glad that my mother didn't know the danger I may really have been in. I wasn't even sure who I was anymore.

Renee and Clarisse, who had been waiting for me a little ways off, came up to me. "We should hurry. It's been a long day and we want to get to England without meeting more monsters. Are you ready?" Renee asked me.

"The main question is, are you? And is your charmspeak?"

"Yep."

Clarisse laughed. "Come on, you two."

* * *

The first boat we saw was the _Andromeda Jean_. Renee and I looked at each other. Yeah, okay, so my middle name was Jeanne, not Jean, but it was still a sign. "That one!" We exclaimed at the same time, exchanging a meaningful glance. In hindsight, we probably should have used something else, but Renee and I actually thought that some good could come out of it. We probably should have used something like the _Cloud Star_. But did we know?

* * *

 **A/N: So sorry I haven't been posting as much. I'll try to get a "Voldemort's Back!" or "Two Loves" chapter out soon, but no promises. I hope you liked it.**


	7. On the Andromeda Jean

**A/N: All rights to Rick Riordan**

* * *

 ** **Renee POV****

Getting on the ship was the easy part.

I went up to the captain. "Hello, good sir. We are three girls on a trip to England to see our ailing mother. I'm Rain, that's Claire, and that's Laura. We lost our tickets, but we will pay you back when we get the money." I then pretended to cry. Clara and Clarisse copied me.

"Little girls, come here. You can get the ride for free, okay? If your mother is so bad that you must take a ship to England to go see her, then of course you will have free passage."

I gave a small smile. "Thank you." I whispered. I couldn't let the kind captain know what I was really feeling, but inside, I was grinning like a maniac. Clara and Clarisse echoed their thanks, and we boarded the _Andromeda Jean_.

The man called after us, "We have extra rooms on the deck. Feel free to take cabin 5710."

"Oh, thank you very much!" I grinned. "Thank you for your kindness."

Clara slipped her arm around me. "Mom's gonna be okay," she whispered. I giggled a little, then pretended to be sad.

When we got to cabin 5710, we stared. It looked as if it was a shrine to the gods, especially our parents. The door was painted with harps, cows, helmets, vultures, doves, and shells. The beds were the same. I glanced at the others and gulped.

It was a large ship, with a big deck, a game room, and a lounge. I shivered and wondered if Clara was feeling the way I was, utterly unsafe. I collapsed on one of the beds, the left one. Clara threw her bag onto the middle one, which I was grateful for because it meant I didn't need to be near Clarisse.

I fell asleep almost immediately. What a day!

* * *

" _I cannot believe they fell for it," a voice growled. They actually took the_ Andromeda Jean _. Good work, my faithful servant. Good job."_

" _It was easy, Master. I led them both ways. To Storybrooke and back out. To here. To us, Master."_

" _Such a shame they didn't realize. That would have been great fun, almost as much fun as watching Percy talk to a poodle."_

" _Yes, Master. And who was the captain?"_

" _Why, Oceanus, of course. We'll sail them right through the Bermuda Triangle!"_

" _Yes, sir. Shame, though, I do believe we could have used Clarissa and Renee. They're so….easy."_

" _Oh, Scylla and Charybdis won't kill them. And Oceanus will make sure they do the right procedure for the Sirens."_

" _I like how you think…._ ahead of time _, Master."_

* * *

What was it Silena had said about demigod dreams? That they told you something? Did they predict the future? I rolled over on the bed and tried not to think about it.

Wait a second! I _had_ to think about it. And we needed to get off this ship. I threw a pillow at Clara, but I threw too hard and it hit Clarisse. Crap!

"Renee, what was that for?"

"Well, _sorry_. I had a dream, Clarisse. We need to abort ship!"

"What's all the yelling? Clarisse, please don't!"

I noticed then that Clarisse was about to throw something at me. "Renee," Clara continued, "tell us what happened."

I remembered that that was one thing I had always loved about Clara. She could always keep her head, even when the daughter of Aphrodite and the daughter of Ares were about to kill each other. Which was, on my count, always.

"I dreamed….somebody said that it had all been a setup for us to get on this ship! And think about it! The _Andromeda Jean_! The cabin decorations! Even the cabin number, our CHB cabins combined. I can't believe we missed all the clues! And….they were so willing to let us on. Like, I almost didn't have to use Charmspeak! Gods, we've been so _stupid_! Why didn't I see it?"

"Wren, you're not an Athena. It's not surprising that none of us saw it. Well, you're right. We need to get out."

"Wren?" I looked at Clara. "I thought it was Rennie!"

"Rennie sounds too….ten years old. Do you even know what day it is?"

"Oh my gods, it's May 2nd, isn't it? I'm eleven!" I hugged Clara, then remembered what I was there for. "But grab your bags, there's no time to waste!"

"Not even for a cupcake for the birthday girl?"

"Who….what! Oh, hi." I exclaimed. It was the captain. I grinned at him.

"We were just taking Rain here….to her birthday surprise! At the arcade!" Clarisse said aggressively-almost protectively. I was impressed.

"Well, get out there, then."

Once the captain was out of earshot, I groaned. "Clarisse, _that_ was helpful."

"Quick thinking. If that blonde brat Annabeth had been here, she would've come up with something better."

"Ugh, whatever. I guess we need to go to the arcade now." I linked arms with Clara and Clarisse pretended to gag.

* * *

The arcade was amazing, and if I hadn't been fearing for my life, I probably would have loved it. It was called the _Lotus Casino Cruise Branch_ , and it was like a whole new ship. I decided that while we were here, we should check out the games.

And for an eleven-year-old, they were paradise. Just when we started to realize we had no money on us, the security guards came up to us. "Do you three have your all-access unlimited passes?"

"No," I said, worried that they would kick us out.

"Well then, here! Take some!"

Clara was given a golden-yellow pass. I had a pink and green one, and Clarisse's was red and black. "The color of your blood when I beat you at inflatable fencing," she added.

Clara shook her head, but I used a little Charmspeak to convince her. "Clarissa Jeanne, please. It'll be fun."

"Two on one, not that you losers will have a chance."

We fenced. And fenced. And fenced some more, losing track of the time. And then I had an idea. I whispered something to Clara, and she nodded. She raised her sword and I ran behind Clarisse, trying to make it look like Clara would be the one to knock her sword from her hand. In reality, I was sneaking behind Clarisse, just in time to knock the sword from her hand at the right moment.

So basically, ClaRenee, 1; Clarisse, 0. I grinned, ready to lay on the charmspeak when Clarisse accused us of cheating. "No way, Clarisse, we won, fair and square!"

"Cheaters!"

"There's _always_ power in numbers, Clarisse."

"But-but…." the older girl was flabbergasted.

"Let's go get something to eat. I need energy to take you guys on at the bouncy house extreme challenge," Clara piped up, pointing at an inflatable attraction that looked like everything combined. We walked over to one of the restaurants.

"Can I get a burger?" I asked.

"With onions and tomatoes and eggplant?"

Wow, this lady knew my exact preference. Except….

"And with lightly melted cheddar cheese, correct?"

I gulped, remembering my dream. "No. No onions, no tomatoes, no eggplant, and no cheese. With lettuce and peppers and mushrooms, no cheese."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"Okay then, coming right up. And for you two lovely ladies?"

"I'll take pizza."

"All meat, extra pepperoni and anchovies, Laura?"

"How do you know my name?" Clarisse grumbled. I was sure I was going to get yelled at about that name choice soon.

"Laura Nathaniels, yes? All meats, extra pepperoni and anchovies?"

"No, just cheese. Maybe with eggplant."

"If you're sure."

"Well, of course I'm sure. I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't, ma'am."

Clara held back her laughter.

"And you, my dear Claire, what would you like?"

"I'll have a milkshake. Raspberry and chocolate."

"But, my dear Claire Nathaniels, you like blueberry with vanilla."

"Nope. Raspberry and chocolate."

"Okay, then, may I see your all-access unlimited passes?"

We handed them over. I wasn't looking forward to eating my hamburger without the lightly melted cheddar, but hey, that was better than giving into the waitress's predictions.

"Ugh, _why_ did I say eggplant? I _hate_ eggplant!"

"Just wipe it off. I'll split my burger so you can have some of the meat."

"Thanks, _Rain_ , you're so sweet. You can have my eggplant, too." We exchanged a smile, the first we'd had in….ever.

Clarisse made sure to leave just enough cheese touching the eggplant so that I could feel like I had that, too. "I know it's mozzarella, not cheddar, but I hope it'll do." I smiled gratefully. Maybe we really _could_ be friends.

After we finished eating, we did the inflatable thing, went down waterslides, played arcade games, and fenced until we were tired out. Even then, we felt like we had to keep playing. It was very late, definitely, but we couldn't know exactly what time because there were no _clocks_ , a fact I hadn't even thought about. There were also no windows.

After a while, I realized that I was actually tired. Like, really tired. "Clara, Clarisse, shouldn't we go back to our cabin?"

"My name's Laura. And hers is Claire," Clarisse said as a security guard passed by. "And yes, I'm so tired."

But we were about to find that being tired was the _least_ of our worries.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Well, I bet you can guess what happened next. After all, it** _ **was**_ **the Lotus Casino.**

 **Also, don't expect this often. I don't post during the week much, but I finally knew where to take this part of the story, so I had to write it.**

 **Names: Clara is Claire and Renee is Rain, obviously. Clarisse is Laura because of LaRue, her last name. Nathaniels is their last name because it is, there is no rhyme or reason for it.**


	8. The First Fighting Escape

**Clara POV**

I slept well after the fun day at the Lotus. But of course, that didn't last.

I woke up to-surprise-Renee and Clarisse arguing again.

"It's your fault, you _had_ to suggest the arcade!"

"Well, if you hadn't been so freaking _loud_ about your birthday, it never would have happened in the first place!"

"Well you should've known better, you've been doing this longer!"

I groaned, not trusting myself to go back to sleep without first mediating between them.

"Okay, what is it this time?"

"Oh, Clara, you're finally up, thank the gods!" Renee yelled. "Now we can get out of here!"

"What? Why?"

Clarisse spoke up. "Clara, listen. It's not June 10th. It's not even June. It's July 20th, Clara. And we're not even halfway to England."

Renee grumbled and nodded. "I think we're in the Bermuda triangle, otherwise known as the Sea of Monsters. We've been here for more than a month."

I was shocked. This was all so much information.

"Can you ask your dad to give us a lift, Clara?"

"No, the gods hate to help, I'd've thought you two figured that out, at least."

"I have a better idea. We call one of Percy's half-siblings."

"Oh, great idea! Especially since he doesn't have any."

"Oh, right. Hmm….maybe you could-"

I could tell Renee was about to say something insulting, so I cut her off. "Maybe, we could stop arguing and actually get out of here! You know?"

"You're turning into a mix of us, Clara," Renee said in awe. I blushed and realized I _was_. I had become both hot-headed and convincing. Maybe, just maybe, this quest could work out after all.

Just then, thunder rumbled overhead and I got an idea. "Clarisse, are there any children of Zeus?"

"I'd rather not talk about her. And even if Thalia _wasn't_ a pine tree, I wouldn't be trusting Zeus right now. Hey, did you two ever get weapons?"

Renee and I shook our heads. "Oh, so _that's_ why Chiron had me bring these. _Now_ it makes sense. Clara, yours is a golden bow. Why is everything gold or yellow with you anyway? And Renee, you've got, well, a long sword. I think it's imperial silver. I have my faithful electric spear."

"There are no arrows."

"I think it replenishes itself whenever there is need. Anyway, now you are prepared."

"Wow. Weapons. Are you sure you trust me with this, Clarisse?"

"Shut up, Renee. I'm still keeping them locked up while we sleep. Actually, no, I'm having Clara keep them, she actually likes both of us."

Well, that was new. I still didn't really know whether I actually _liked_ Clarisse, and you could never tell with Renee. But I agreed that keeping the weapons with me while sleeping was probably best. I was far less likely to want to kill anyone than Clarisse or Renee.

Renee, who'd been fairly quiet for the last little while, suddenly spoke up. "You know, I think I just might have a legitimate plan. Hold on, guys, and get ready for the ride of your life!"

* * *

 **Renee POV(1)**

For once, I wished I was Clarisse. She had the much easier job of finding and releasing the lifeboats. Meanwhile, Clara and I had to get everyone riled up so we could distract Oceanus (I finally remembered the captain's true identity from my dream). That would mean going back in the dreaded Lotus Casino, as well as into any other dangers that could be lurking around the ship. I decided that for that, we'd use a string similar to the one used in King Minos's labyrinth. We would tie it to each other so we didn't get separated, and use it to spread chaos.

And it was chaos. I would look people in the eye and tell them that their best friends or whoever they were with was trying to kill them. It worked because of my Charmspeak. Meanwhile, Clara ran around with her arrow saying, "I'll shoot! I will!" and scaring people, even though she would never actually do it because she was _Clara_!

So that was fun. And now the captain had come running as everyone was attacking each other. Clara and I were able to slip out easily and find Clarisse. She had a small lifeboat, and we had to pretend we knew how to row so she wouldn't freak out. I wished we could fly, it would have been so much faster. But Clarisse said a few words and we were off. She looked at us. "I hope you don't mind I combined our powers for this. It means we'll feel weak for a while, but it's totally worth it. We'll be in England in about half an hour. You two should get some sleep, we'll need to be on our toes soon. The monsters haven't actually tried to attack us yet, but once they realize we got away, we need to worry. Combining the powers throws off the scent as well. So sleep, and I'll wake you up when we get to England."

"But our powers aren't that strong to begin with." I argued

"Woah, you almost made me believe that," said Clarisse sarcastically.

"You're right, Clarisse." Clara said, smiling.

I wondered why they were making fun of me. Then I realized they weren't. I had charmspeak, Clara had the speed of light, and Clarisse had….military power? Well whatever. I joined them in laughing. Soon, Clara had fallen asleep on my shoulder and I was nodding off too.

* * *

" _Well, they escaped me once, they won't do it again! I will make sure of that."_

" _Yes, master."_

Why did that voice sound so familiar to me, this time? Oh, I hated dreams so much now.

 _I will send a giant to England. That'll stop them. Hmm, maybe Periboia, she'll slow them enough until I can get there myself. I'll deal with them before they even get to_ Hogwarts. _I will make sure they do not get to_ Hogwarts _. Deal with Percy and the others, will you?"_

" _Yes master."_

* * *

Ugh, dreams. Why weren't Clarisse or Clara getting these? And what was _Hogwarts_? Well, the "master" was sending a giant after us, someone named Periboia. And who was the other voice? Ugh, I knew I'd heard it before.

Clarisse put her arm on my shoulder. "Hey, you're already awake. Can you get Clara up? I need charmspeak for her. She won't get up, and we've run into some, um, _large_ trouble.

I cursed under my breath. "Periboia?" I whispered.

"How did you know?"

"Dream," I mumbled.

Clarisse raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

"Clara, it's time to get up," I said sweetly. "It's a beautiful day." She moaned. "Clara, look at the sunshine."

"Oh fine, I'm up. Wha-oh," she said as there was a loud crash.

"We're in England. And so is she. The magic has worn off, I dozed off, and we ran into Periboia. So, expect war."

"Are you okay?"

"The plan is that you'll charmspeak her. Then Clara and I will fight her. You'll summon a god with your charmspeak. Then it gets fun."

Well, that wasn't _my_ definition of fun. "Why do we need a god?"

"You are so naive, Renee _Sanderson_. You need gods and demigods together to kill a giant. Idiot."

But I had lost her at Sanderson. Clara stepped up behind me, ready to fight Clarisse if needed. "Clara, please," I said with Charmspeak. "Just let me. Please." She nodded but stayed close.

"Clarisse, that was uncalled for. Why?"

"Because if you lied about that, who are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Guys!" I realized the crashing grew louder. "Guys!"

"I am Periboia, princess of the giants. You can die fighting or die without, it is up to you."

"Or, you can die," said an unfamiliar voice. It almost sounded like an older version of Clara's. There was a blonde woman with her hair dyed black at the tips. Next to her was Apollo.

She shot something from a stick, Apollo shot a sunbeam, and we went into action. Periboia was down within minutes. Later, Clarisse and Clara would say that it was all due to my charmspeak, but I would say it was all due to Clarisse's superior war skills or Clara's good humor.

But what really happened was, we could work together. Later we would receive news that, on that same day, Annabeth, Percy, and Grover had brought the lighting bolt back to Zeus. Meanwhile, we had fought together, meaning that we brought honor to the gods. Both teams had completed the quests.

But we didn't know all this until later. Because the woman who had helped us had special news for us.

"Clara," Apollo said. "Meet your mother, Narcissa Malfoy."

* * *

 **A/N: So, they escaped the ship and won again, making their way to England. Clara finally met her mother, and the three demigods actually worked together. Renee won't find out her father's identity until much later, but she will get some memories. Off to Hogwarts within the next two chapters. Try to guess their houses in the reviews and I hope you liked this chapter.  
Also, I have a poll up about whether you like Two Loves of Olympe and what I should do with it. Please take it or respond in comments.**


	9. New Friends, New Enemies, & Two Letters

**Clara POV**

"Clara, meet your mother, Narcissa Malfoy," Apollo said.

I was shocked. So I finally knew. _This_ was her, then. I had to say I thought I took after my dad a lot more, at least in looks. But I ran to her anyway. This was my _mother_ , something I'd always wanted.

Narcissa embraced me. "I've missed you, dear Clarissa Jeanne. I do hope the Bradleys took good care of you. And you must be her…. _friends_ ," she says to Clarisse and Renee. I couldn't tell the reason drop in her voice, but it almost looked as if she recognized Renee. I stepped away from my mother, and closer to my best friend.

"If this was a perfect day, Clara, we'd go out to lunch or something. But my husband will wonder, and I have to be with my son, even if he doesn't like that. But I am so glad I finally got to meet you, Clara. I have no doubt we'll see each other again, and I can only hope that it would be more pleasant next time." I saw Narcissa shudder at the word "pleasant," like she knew the life of a demigod would never be pleasant. "I promise I will see you again one day. I love you, Clarissa Jeanne."

I smiled and Narcissa hugged me again. Then, she turned on her heel and disappeared, which made me wonder whether there was more to her than just a woman that my father had loved.

I turned to Apollo. "Dad, one day you'll get in trouble with Zeus for helping your kids so much."

* * *

I don't actually remember how we got back home. I just know that the ride was smooth. Well, I guess you get one freebie in life. I don't know. But we've been back for three days now.

I spend all my time now with Jade and Renee, of course, but also with Grover, Percy, Annabeth, Silena, Will, and sometimes Clarisse. Despite the fact that Clarisse and I are kind of friends now, she and Renee still dislike each other, and don't even ask me about her with Percy or Annabeth. I sighed, knowing they would never really get along. It drove me nuts to have my friends fighting.

Renee told me she saw Percy and Annabeth as a couple. She said that, as the daughter of the love goddess, she had to be right, but I didn't know if I agreed. Surely she wouldn't try to ship _me_ with anyone, would she? I hoped not. I wasn't up for that yet. I'm only eleven, after all. I think sometimes Renee seems to forget that.

I've been enjoying the rest of the summer, knowing I'll need to go back to school soon. It's not like I don't want to see the Bradleys, but I just feel distanced from them these days. Renee will be staying here for the year, unless I can convince my adoptive parents to let her live with us. I already promised her that I would try, but with six children, we already have too many mouths to feed. I wish I had the magical plates that we have here at camp.

* * *

I saw Luke leading Percy into the forest. Percy and I had a shorter schedule than many of our friends, who were still doing training this afternoon. For some reason, our days off never seemed to match up. Renee and I hardly even saw each other that much, and we couldn't even sit together at meals.

I hadn't paid much thought to Luke lately. He's been very aloof. I can't figure it out; he must be happy at least that Annabeth is back. And that they got the lightning bolt. But for some reason, he avoids us.

The way he was leading Percy seemed almost suspicious to me, so I waited until I was sure they wouldn't notice me, and I started to follow them. By the time I got there, it looked as if Luke and Percy were finishing up a heavy discussion.

There are only a few things I'm really good at, but one of them is definitely reading people. Even from my distance, I could tell that Percy was apprehensive. I couldn't make out any words, though, so I wasn't sure what was going on.

Luke said something, and Percy shuddered. I saw something behind him and suddenly knew why he kept talking. It looked like one of those poisonous scorpions I had seen pictures of during training. I realized then that Luke didn't want Percy coming out of this alive.

"Percy!" I yelled without thinking. "On your right!"

Percy spun around so fast it was like lightning had hit him. But unfortunately, Luke had also heard me.

"You'll pay for that one, Clarissa Jeanne Bradley." He drew out my name. "I was going to kill him now, but I guess I'll just have to run with you on the way," he sneered. The scorpion was gaining on Percy, who was doing the best he could to ignore it. I thought this probably was a bad idea.

Suddenly, Percy had summoned a wave before my eyes. He directed it at Luke, but the scorpion attacked, and Luke fled. I was disappointed to see that he looked rather happy. "Kronos will make you pay, Clara, you mark my words!

And then he was gone.

* * *

"Clara," Percy whimpered.

I gasped upon seeing him. He was in pain, and there was a huge gash on his arm.

"Clara, water. Water….Clara."

Now, I had to lift Percy up. I wished Annabeth were here, then I could carry him easily to the lake. But I just had to make do with my own strength. I groaned; he was no pillow. I had half a mind just to dump him in the water and run, but I knew that if Mom didn't punish me for that, Jade and Renee would. Not to mention Annabeth.

I waded into the lake with Percy, knowing that he would recover soon enough. I left him there and sat on the bank. Soon, I heard running. Annabeth and Renee came up on me, looking worried. Annabeth kept running to Percy, but Renee stopped at me.

"Clara, thank the gods!" she flung her arms around me. "We heard screams."

Screams? "Renee, nobody was screaming. But, we were hurt."

"I heard screams," she said again, and I realized what must have happened.

Annabeth had hauled Percy out of the water by then, his gash from the scorpion only a small scar. She hugged me as well.

"I'm so glad you two are safe. What happened? We heard screams and came running."

"Annabeth, nobody screamed," Percy said, but I knew otherwise by now.

"It was Luke. He attacked Percy with the scorpion, then screamed to cause a diversion so he could get away. But….he's not the main enemy. He's working for Kronos."

Annabeth gasped. "I need to tell Chiron, Seaweed Brain!" She grabbed Percy and ran, Renee and me at her heels.

* * *

By the time we reached the Big House, Annabeth and Percy had already gone in. We waited in the main room, listening and watching Annabeth's dramatic retelling. Eventually, Percy stepped in. "Annabeth, it really wasn't that bad."

I laughed, and Annabeth suddenly realized I was there. "Oh, right, it wasn't. Clara saw the whole thing, Chiron, she'll tell you better."

"Hey, I was actually _there_!" Percy groaned and began to tell Chiron everything. After he finished, Chiron nodded. "We need to talk about this, but first, I need to talk to Clara and Renee in private. Is this okay?"

Annabeth nodded, and I wondered what could be so important.

Once we were in a back room, Chiron said, "I expected this with you, Clara, of course, but it will probably come as kind of a shock to both of you."

He handed us each a thick green envelope. I ripped mine open.

* * *

 _Dear Miss Bradley,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _The term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva Mcgonagall_

 _Minerva Mcgonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

* * *

Well, that was different. I wasn't really looking forward to traveling back to England, and doubted Renee was, either.

* * *

 **A/N: How did you like it? Sorry it was a bit of a filler chapter, but in the next chapter they will go to Diagon Alley and meet some important characters for their first year (** _ **Chamber of Secrets**_ **canon). The chapter after that will be the train and the arrival, and then the moment you've all been waiting for, the sorting. Please comment your ideas on which houses you think Clara and Renee will get placed into (although I already know haha).**

 **Also, please take my poll on whether there is any point for me to continue in Two Loves of Olympe. I would really appreciate the feedback. Thanks!**


	10. The Good, the bad, and the vain

**Renee POV**

Chiron was the only one who seemed to know what was going on. As for me, I was trying to think. What was I supposed to do? Just accept this fate, go back to England, and go to…. _Hogwarts_? What kind of name is that, anyway?

"Clara, Renee, you will need to go to Diagon Alley to get your stuff. You can have one other demigod go with you if you wish. You'll need to buy your books, wand, robes, and pets if you want them. Now hurry, I need to owl this letter back to Hogwarts before the day is done. I'll get Malcolm to lend me an Athena owl, you go to Diagon Alley, alright?"

Clara shrugged and I shook my head. "I think, if we want to take another demigod, it should be Annabeth. She's keep us on track and be a real help in the bookstore. And she's strong," Clara said, and I agreed.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You will need Floo Powder to get there, seeing as you're too young to apparate." Chiron said, handing me a green powder. "You may also take it to King's Cross when the time is right."

I shook my head again. I realized that Clarisse would be upset if we didn't include her. I wanted Annabeth more, but since we'd actually been on a quest, I thought we maybe should include her. Gods, I wished we could take two other demigods instead of just one. Hmm, maybe if I could convince Chiron to let us take one _each_ ….

"What are you thinking, Wren?" Clara's voice startled me.

"Oh, um just that maybe we should bring Clarisse too, and I'm trying to figure out a way for that to happen."

Clara nodded. "It's a good idea. After all, she does know England as well as we do."

I nodded. "That's it! She knows England, and Annabeth has logic! It's perfect!"

I went to ask Chiron and he agreed that we could take both. "But don't give Annabeth _any_ money to spend in the bookstore," he warned. I laughed. Maybe we could just buy our wands and Annabeth could buy our books.

I really did want to see Diagon Alley. So I went to the Athena cabin and got Annabeth while Clara helped Clarisse get up. Wow, demigods _and_ witches, what a day.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

Diagon Alley. I clasped Renee's hand as we shot out from the fire. Clarisse had come first and Annabeth appeared just after us. I looked around.

"First stop, Gringotts Bank," said Annabeth. Chiron had given us $3000 to transfer into wizarding currency. I had no idea how he came up with the money, but he said it should be good for a year or two, if we used it wisely.

The creatures at the bank were strange. We looked at Annabeth to see if she knew what they were, but she just shrugged.

We handed the money to one of the…. _creatures_ , and I said, "Hi, we'd like to create an account."

"Whose name would you like that to be under?" The _thing_ had a creaky voice, not unlike an unoiled gate.

I looked at my friends before saying confidently, "Andromeda Jeanne, please."

Clarisse gave me a look like I was crazy, but it felt right, even after our experience on the ship.

"Please hold while I fashion your key. How many keys, by the way?"

"Two please."

The creature went back and fashioned two keys out of gold. Annabeth gasped. "I know what you are! You're a goblin!"

The goblin bowed. "Griphook, at your service." Griphook. What an interesting name. "Right this way," he added.

We descended down a few flights of stairs, and I gulped, realizing we were underground. I hated the underground, I needed to be where I could see the sun and know my father was watching me. In fact, the only one of us who looked okay was Clarisse. Annabeth was shuddering and mumbling about spiders, while Renee had drawn back into a corner as a simple cart came toward us. I looked at them.

"You two can wait out here if you want."

They gave me grateful smiles. I stepped up by Clarisse, and she took my hand, which would have been a nice gesture if she wasn't so strong.

"Renee and Annabeth are going to wait out here."

Griphook nodded, and Clarisse and I clambered after him into the cart. As soon as we got moving, I was glad Renee hadn't gone. I had always known she was squeamish around roller coasters, and this was ten times worse than the ones at Six Flags. Even Clarisse was looking a little green.

Griphook took us to our vault, where he told us the different kinds of coins. Clarisse and I each took twenty galleons, ten sickles, and five knuts apiece. We still had plenty left over for another time. Then we left, going at that heart-wrenching speed back to Renee and Annabeth, where Clarisse gave Renee her coins.

We stepped out onto the street, where there was a crowd gathering around the bookshop, Flourish and Blotts.

"Can we go in now, _please_?" Annabeth asked, half dragging Renee to the store. Clarisse and I had no choice but to follow her. As we approached the front door, I saw why there had been such a crowd. "Gilderoy Lockhart will be signing books at 2:00 pm today. Come in and you could win a free copy of 'Magical Me!' Renee read. "Looks like he got on the bad side of one of my mom's makeovers."

Annabeth and I giggled, and Clarisse rolled her eyes.

We hurried in as the man was finishing up his first speech. Renee looked at me and gagged as Lockhart beamed with a boy who had round glasses, jet-black hair, and a lightning scar. The boy looked about as thrilled as we felt.

A red-head boy behind us whispered, "Oh gods, isn't he a piece of work?" and his brothers chuckled, but were loudly shushed by his mother.

The boy we had seen with Lockhart was staggering back to the redheaded family under the weight of what looked to be a full collection of Lockhart's books. He tipped the books into a young girl's cauldron, and she turned as red as her hair.

"Oooh, to be young and in love," Renee said. I elbowed her.

"Well, you're famous now, Potter." A blonde boy stepped out from behind a bookshelf.

"Stop it, he never asked for any of this!" exclaimed the small redhead girl.

"Oh look, Potter's got himself a girlfriend." If the girl had been red before, she was a tomato now.

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Potter coolly. Malfoy? That couldn't be my half brother, could it?

"Now now, Draco, play nice," said a man, probably Draco's father. If he was Narcissa's husband, I couldn't fathom how she would pick him over Apollo. I wanted to do something, but I doubted they had even noticed me yet. "Ah, Arthur. The disgrace of wizards, the _blood traitor_."

"Lucius. Lovely," the man called Arthur raised his wand. I thought he was probably the father of the readhead family who the boy "Potter" had been with.

Suddenly, a giant of a man was standing in Lucius's place. "Break it up there, break it up," he said, shoving the blonde man aside. The diversion gave him time to slip something in the girl's cauldron, but I might've been the only one who noticed that.

"Arthur," the giant man continued, "You know better than that."

"I know, Hagrid, I know," said the Arthur.

The girl's mother took her arm. "Come on, Ginny, let's go get your wand."

I decided it would be a good time to cut out as well. I looked at my friends, who nodded. We quickly bought our books and followed the redhead women to Ollivander's Wand Shop. "Wow," exclaimed Annabeth. "I wish I was a witch."

The wand shop was a quiet, dark room with boxes on every side. We heard explosions and a hurried voice saying, "No, no, definitely not! Now how about _this_ one."

"Ah yes, this seems to be the one, Ginerva Weasley. Redwood, nine inches, rigid, with a dragon heartstring core."

I saw the girl come out with her new wand. She waved at us. "Are you first years, too?"

We nodded. "I'm Clara, and my friend is Renee. We're….I guess half-bloods." More truth to that than we would let on, of course. "These are our friends, Annabeth and Clarisse. They're just along for the ride."

"I'm Ginny Weasley. I'm the seventh and last in my family to go to Hogwarts. Anyway, see you on the train!" Ginny said brightly.

We waved as Ginny tried out her new wand.

"Ah, new customers. Come in," the shopkeeper said. "First years? Hogwarts?"

Renee and I nodded. "Only these two need wands, we're just along for the ride," Annabeth said.

"Clara, you go first," Renee prompted. I grabbed her hand and nodded.

* * *

My wand was actually fairly easy. "Welcome, Miss Bradley." He saw my confusion at his knowing my name. "Ah yes, I know everybody. The wand chooses the wizard, Clarissa, and I must know who the wand has the possibility of choosing. I am one of the only wizards outside of Hogwarts who gets to see _the book_."

I couldn't follow Ollivander, so I just nodded. He handed me a box. I took out the wand and caused an explosion. Wand after wand, explosion after explosion, with only Ollivander's occasional muttering of "no, not that one, definitely not," until I was presented with a silver box.

I took out the wand and gave it a wave. The lights flickered and the model bird on Ollivander's desk chirped. "I think we have found the wand, Clarissa Bradley. Ah yes, a personal favorite. Yellow palmwood with a unicorn core, bendy, six inches. Perfect."

I paid for the wand, hoping that this really was the wand that chose me. Now, I had to watch Renee go through the same process.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

"Ah, yes, Renee Sanderson. I've been expecting you."

Really? How was I "expected," then? This man had never even met me. He continued giving me some overly rehearsed speech on how "the wand chooses the wizard," and mentioned a "book" and "Hogwarts." I had to say I wasn't really paying attention; if it was important, Clara would tell me later. It took a moment to realize the man was intensely staring at me.

"What's that, sir?"

"I said, Miss Sanderson, are you ready to begin?"

"Yes, sir."

I waited for him to take my measurements, and then he handed me a box. Box after box, really. I was having worse luck than Clara.

Finally, he said, Renee, let's try you on _this_ one, shall we?" I gave it a wave and it finally worked. I was overjoyed.

"Curious, very curious."

"What's curious?"

"Well, Miss Sanderson, your wand is of unicorn tail hair as well. But this unicorn, he only gave three hairs. The other two brother wands went to brothers. Very curious that you of all people would be chosen by the third. Their names were Regulus and Sirius Black. Their family wasn't much, but they both turned out bad to the core, although they seemed like fine students early on. It was their choices that shaped them. As will yours, Renee Sanderson."

I shuddered. That was…. _ominous_.

* * *

 **A/N: So there's your next Clara chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. So, Clara and Renee have met the Weasleys, Harry, Draco, Lockhart, and Hagrid. I know I didn't exactly stick to canon in the bookstore scene, but I wanted it to mostly be what Clara saw.**

 **Just so you know, the chapter title: The Good is Harry and the Weasleys, the Bad is the Malfoys, and the Vain is Lockhart.**

 **Please review! And take my poll about Two Loves of Olympe.**


	11. On The Hogwarts Express

**Clara POV**

I had bought a pygmy owl I called Dusk because of her blue/gray color that reminded me of the sunset in summer. Renee had picked out a white cat she called Princess.

I was so excited to board the train. I looked at my ticket, then double checked it.

"Chiron, this is all wrong. It says platform 9 ¾ , there's no such thing."

"It's there, trust me."

"Can Clarisse and Annabeth come with us again?"

"Sorry, Renee. It's just the two of you this time." At this, Renee stepped closer to me with a small gulp.

"But how are we supposed to find the platform?"

"There will be plenty of other wizards to help you."

I groaned. Chiron was great, but he could sometimes be stubborn. We got up to say one final farewell to Will, Silena, Annabeth, Percy, Grover, Clarisse, and Jade (or Juniper, whatever), who were waiting outside the big house. Annabeth hugged me fiercely, while Clarisse pretended not to care.

"Take care of yourself, Miss Sunbeam," Will said. Miss Sunbeam? Since when? Couldn't all Apollo children ride on sunbeams? I needed to remember to ask him about that later.

Then Renee clasped my hand and Chiron took us to the fire to use floo powder. "Keep this batch, so if you ever need it, you'll have it." He handed the jar to me, and I put it in my trunk. Then we stepped into the fire saying, "King's Cross Station!" and disappeared into the flames. I started walking almost immediately, but Renee held me back.

"What would they think if they saw us? Wait until the coast is clear."

I nodded. We waited a few seconds and then ran to platform nine when the coast was clear. As predicted, there was no visible platform 9 ¾ .

We sat and worried as it got closer to 11:00, until we heard, "Mum, I can't believe we're late again, I'll be late to the prefect's compartment!"

I looked up to see the redhaired family and the "Potter" boy we had seen at Diagon Alley. The father, Arthur, was talking. "Now, I'll go first with Ginny, come on now," and I decided to speak up.

"Erm, hello, we were trying to…."

"How to get on the platforms as well, huh? First years too, like Ginny?"

Renee and I nodded.

"Come with Ginny and me, and hurry!" Ginny smiled and took my hand. Renee grabbed mine, and they pulled us forward. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the crash, but it never came. The next thing I knew, we had stepped onto a platform where there was a bright red steam engine. Arthur kissed Ginny and ushered us on the train.

"Come on, let's go find a compartment."

Renee and I smiled. This girl had already decided to be our friend, and we couldn't really ask for more on only our first day.

* * *

"So, do either of you know which house you want to be in? I'm hoping I'm a Gryffindor myself, but you never know. Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad either. Or Hufflepuff. But Slytherin? No!"

"Um, what?" Renee asked

"Houses, don't you know? Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. All my family has been in Gryffindor for generations, although Fred and George have connections in all of the houses. They're very popular. And I think Percy might be friends with a Ravenclaw."

We shook our heads.

"Wow, you _do_ have a lot to learn! Okay, so Gryffindor promotes bravery and chivalry, Ravenclaw is for people who are very intelligent, and Hufflepuffs are the nice and unique ones."

"And Slytherin?" Renee asked

"Most of them turn out evil."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you don't want that."

I rolled my eyes. Ares children had a reputation for that too, but look at Clarisse. She would be on our side in a fight, no question. The Slytherins were probably just misunderstood, like her.

"So, which do you think you'll get?"

"Bet I'm a Slytherin," Renee groaned.

"Renee, that won't happen! I bet we'll get Gryffindor together," Ginny told her honestly.

"Sure, okay." Renee didn't sound convinced, though.

A woman knocked on the compartment door. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

I looked at the candy, expecting Milky Way bars or Cadbury chocolate. Instead, I saw things called, "Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans," "Chocolate frogs," and "Peppermint imps."

We selected a large bag of the Bertie Botts Beans, a pile of chocolate frogs, and a few pumpkin pasties. The woman then turned to Ginny, who shook her head. She held up two soggy sandwiches. "I'm good."

I realized then that there was something Ginny's bubbly attitude hid. She was poor, probably didn't have a dollar-I mean a galleon-to her name. Without thinking, I handed her a handful of Bertie Botts. She smiled at me.

"No, Clara, it's fine."

"I insist," said Renee, which of course worked due to her charmspeak. Ginny popped a green one in her mouth. "Yeuch, Spinach! I thought it would be sour apple!"

Renee tried one next. "My guess is….taffy. Nope. Hairball." I made a face

"My turn. My guess is grape." I popped it in my mouth. "Eww, no, turnip and onion."

We went on like that for a while before realizing it was getting dark and deciding we should change into our robes.

The train came to a halt, and a girl and a boy met us at the place where we were supposed to wait for Hagrid. The girl looked worried, and the boy looked annoyed. "Ginny, have you seen Harry? Or Ron?"

"I would have thought they were with you."

"But they're not, just Neville. Oh, if those two got expelled…."

"Firs' years! Over here!"

Ginny gave an excited squeal and grabbed my arm. We ran toward Hagrid, ready for Hogwarts.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for all my wonderful readers and for the chance to write. I'm thankful for the wonderful reviews, although I don't feel like I've gotten enough of them recently. I wish you would review every chapter. But I'm grateful this site exists, and that I can meet all these other fangirls &boys who support each other's writing. **

**Next chapter: The sorting! Please review!**


	12. The Sorting and the First Dinner

**Clara POV**

We were getting to Hogwarts via boat, while the older students were going via horseless carriage. We climbed on to a boat, followed by a girl with dirty-blond hair. The girl had on odd glasses and didn't really seem to be paying attention.

"Hello, Luna," Ginny said, explaining that the girl was her neighbor, although they didn't really talk.

"Hi." Luna went back to reading a magazine sideways, and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Yeh'll get your first look a' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called from the front boat. There were oohs and aahs as we passed an enormous gray castle. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

We clapped and cheered as we descended the boats and walked up the marble staircase to Hogwarts. We reached a stone room, and Hagrid said, "Wait here, everyone. I'll go get professor Flitwick."

Ginny gave a sigh of relief and whispered, "Good. I'm glad Snape's not on first year duty this year. When Fred and George had him, he was the worst."

I diminutive man who almost looked part goblin came out. "Hello, first years. I'm Professor Flitwick, charms professor and head of Ravenclaw house. Here at Hogwarts, your house will be like your home. The four houses are: Gryffindor, which honors bravery and chivalry; Slytherin, which honors cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness; Hufflepuff, which values hard work, kindness, and dedication; and my former house, Ravenclaw, which values intelligence and wit.

"Your house can win or lose points based on your behaviors. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup, an award coveted by all the students of Hogwarts. So, let us begin."

We clapped at the speech and then entered into the great hall, where the roof was the night sky.

"Wow, is that real?"

"I think it's an enchantment, but I'm not sure," Luna said. But everyone's attention was on an old hat that had just burst into song.

* * *

Many, many years ago

When I was new and clean

Godric Gryffindor took me from his head

And placed some brains in me.

This was the way the founders four

Would sort once they were long gone

For what would become of their values

When their days were done?

Brave Gryffindor, the roaring lion

Only wanted what was brave

While Shrewd Slytherin, the snake

Only took those a wizard bloodline gave

Meanwhile, Witty Ravenclaw, the eagle

Chose all those who were smart

And Sweet Hufflepuff, the badger

All the rest, she taught.

Despite their views, the founders four

Became the best of friends

The rivalry between them

Remained playful to no end.

But Slytherin was different

He broke off from the rest

He decided that his views

Were what marked the best.

He caused a rift,

Irreparable and strong

And that is why the houses

Can never get along.

* * *

I clapped along with everyone else, and Flitwick began calling out names.

"Aconna, Rebecca?"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Avery, Nolan?"

"Gryffindor!"

"Ballias, Sandra?"

"Slytherin!"

"Bellis, Gill?"

"Slytherin!"

On and on it went, until, "Bradley, Clara?"

I stepped out in front of the hat, sat on the chair, and Flitwick placed it on my head. "Ah, yes, the secret Malfoy, I know all about you. Daughter of Apollo, gave the Weasley girl Bertie Botts Beans when you realized her story, brought peace between Clarisse and Renee, better be….HUFFLEPUFF!"

Well, I hadn't known the hat talked to you and probed your thoughts. Renee gave me a thumbs up as I went to sit with Rebecca Aconna and the other Hufflepuffs.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

Well, now that Clara had gone, I had nothing else to do but wait. I looked around. The different tables were decorated with their house's animal and color. My name wouldn't come for a while, so I just waited. Shortly after Clara was called, I watched a mousy boy called Colin Creevy become a Gryffindor. I'm not sure why he stood out, but he did. I watched and waited as more people became Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins. Luna Lovegood, the girl from the boat, became a Ravenclaw

"Ruddernot, Tomasz?"

"Slytherin!"

"Rybalzat, Kat?"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Saban, Chloe?"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Samson, Rachel?"

"Gryffindor!"

And then me. "Sanderson, Renee?"

"Ah yes, daughter of Aphrodite and charmspeak extraordinaire. A ready mind, and kindness, ah yes, there is kindness, but it's hidden. You would not do well in Hufflepuff, though, I think quite the opposite. So what shall it be?"

"I don't want to be evil," I said in my head, knowing the hat would hear me.

"Now, Renee, who told you there was an evil house? Were they talking about Slytherin? Did you know, dear girl, that Merlin himself was a Slytherin? Slytherins show potential and determination, but are cunning and will achieve any means to their ways. I think you would make a good one."

I thought about it, and the hat said, "Take your time, Miss Sanderson."

"I'll do it, then," I thought with finality. "I'll show Ginny that not all Slytherins are evil."

"Ah, that's the ticket. Prove yourself, Renee. SLYTHERIN!"

I saw Clara clapping for me. She didn't even look disappointed that we didn't get into the same house, or that I was in Slytherin. I hurried to sit with the new first years, Tomasz, Sandra, and Gill, who didn't seem as bad as some of the older students.

When I got to the table, Sandra clapped me on the back and Tomasz smiled. I hoped I could be friends with these people, hoped that they wouldn't turn out evil. I sat and watched the rest of the sorting. The last person was "Weasley, Ginny," and I watched Ginny become a Gryffindor, clapping along with her house and Clara.

A tall wizard with a long white beard stood up at the staff table. "Now, a few words before we begin. Nitwit! Oddiment! Bubbler! Tweak!"

I looked confused, but food was appearing on our table, and I was too hungry to think about the strange man.

Sandra saw my look and smiled. "That's Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster."

"He's a little strange."

"Well, yes, but my sisters say he's brilliant. I'm a pureblood by the way, what about you?"

"Half."

"I thought so, but don't let it be too known here. You heard the hat, Slytherins value purebloods above all, and some of them go as far as to hate muggle-borns and muggles. My parents were true Gryffindors, and they never really messed anything up. They hated Slytherins with a passion. But, when Sophia became a Slytherin-she's head girl now, of course-they kind of had to accept it. Stacy is a new prefect, couldn't be prouder. My parents have high expectations for me as well. I do hope I can meet them.

"The reason we got into Slytherin was because we were major pranksters at home, and we would do anything for a laugh. But don't worry, we're going to be roommates, so I won't prank you."

I laughed. "Sandra, slow down," I commanded with charmspeak. "So let me get this straight. Slytherins can sometimes be kind of rude to non-purebloods, but I can tell you're not. Your parents were Gryffindors, but your two sisters, Stacy and Sophia, are here, and you're following in their footsteps. Sophia is head girl and Stacy is a prefect, you're going to be my roommate?"

"Yep. There are three other first year girls who will be with us, Morgana, Ariana, and Kaylee."

"Really? I didn't hear their names called."

"It's easy to zone out. And, well, I don't think they'll be like us. I'd say avoid them when you can. We can just stick together, along with Gill and Tomasz."

I nodded. "Are they purebloods as well?"

"Yes, I think so. But don't worry, not all purebloods are like that. Your friend Ginny, she's a pureblood, and there is no way she would ever act that way. Her brother Percy is a Gryffindor prefect, and he and Stacy have a pleasant relationship. Everyone loves the Weasleys. And us, of course."

I nodded.

"Hey Sanderson, I saw you clapping for the Weasley girl, what's wrong with you? You do that they're blood traitors, right?" It was Draco, Clara's half-brother. I groaned. "Why clap for a Gryffindor? You're such a blood traitor!"

He and his friends had surrounded me. Most of the Slytherin girls were much larger than I was. A tall guy who looked like a sloth was laughing. "You don't want detention on the first night, do you, Renee?" he sneered.

"Warrington! You can't give her detention on the first night! She didn't even do anything!" An older girl was yelling. "And anyway, I'm head girl. I can override any decision you make, Warrington. And I will, too!"

Sandra hugged the older girl. "Sophia, where were you? This table's so big!"

"I'm up at the other end. Congratulations on making it into Slytherin, and for letting Miss Sanderson know that not all Slytherins act that way. I'll make sure Stacy is the prefect who leads you to the common room, not Warrington."

Sandra smiled.

"I'm Sophia, by the way, head girl. Pleasure to meet you." Sophia looked just like Sandra, but with shorter, more wavy, blond hair. Looking around, I realized that I was one of the only Slytherin girls who was brunette, which wasn't a pleasant thought. Some girls had jet-black hair, even darker than Potter's. But no other Slytherin girls had my color. In a way that was good, I stood out from the rest. In fact, my hair had always been different from my friends. Of course, that could have something to do with my mom. I looked over at Clara to see if how she was faring.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I sat with Rebecca and Kat, two other first year girls. Rebecca was a Muggleborn, but she had older brothers, so she knew that she would be coming. Kat was a pureblood, but the oldest child in her family. Her parents had gone to Durmstrang, another wizarding school, but they wanted her to be at Hogwarts. The other school had a bad reputation, and produced many dark wizards. Kat was telling us about her summer in Brazil, but I wasn't really listening. I was watching Renee.

My, um, brother had just come over and said something rude to her. Even though I knew she was being helped by a couple other girls, I just wanted to go over and comfort her. She looked up at me, finally. I saw tears forming in her eyes, and I excused myself from the Hufflepuff table.

"Renee, are you okay?"

"Clara. You shouldn't be here, not with….you know." She looked at Draco.

"It's fine, he doesn't know."

"Don't even talk about it here, you're so clueless."

Renee was becoming her old self again, but I didn't mind. "Come over tonight or if you ever need anything. Rebecca said there's a safe space for the other houses if it's ever needed; if Ravenclaws can't figure out the riddle or if Gryffindors or Slytherins forget or are unaware of the new password. And….other stuff. Please, come tonight, and bring Sandra if you want. Just tickle the pear. They all know that Hufflepuffs are most likely to be friends with those from other houses. Just, don't replace me with Sandra, okay?" I said the last part in a whisper.

"Not if you don't replace me with Rebecca and Kat."

"I wouldn't dream of it. I'm inviting Ginny, too."

"Oh, in that case, I won't bring Sandra. I think we need to be together. Kat and Rebecca won't be there, will they?"

"No, just the three of us. Ginny said she has something important to show us."

"Okay, midnight?"

"Midnight sounds great. Just tickle the pear, Rebecca knows everything around here."

"I bet Sandra does too. See you tonight."

I went back to the Hufflepuff table as the man with the beard started a speech. "Welcome, or welcome back, to Hogwarts. I am Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster. It's going to be a great year. Win lots of points for your house. Flying lessons for first years take place on October fourth, and Quidditch tryouts are up to your house captain. A reminder that nobody is allowed in the forest, and you may only enter Hogsmeade with a permission slip and if you are third year and over. But now, the night is young, and we will sing our school song! Everybody, pick a tune!"

He waved his wand and a ribbon of words appeared. I hoped that Renee and I would be on the same page for the song, which of course was "Good Day Sunshine," by the Beatles. I looked at her, and she nodded.

* * *

" _Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts_

 _Teach us something please_

 _Whether we be old and bald_

 _Or young with scabby knees_

 _Our heads could do with filling_

 _With some interesting stuff_

 _For now they're bare and full of air,_

 _Dead flies and bits of fluff_

 _So teach us things worth knowing_

 _Bring back what we've forgot_

 _Just do your best,_

 _We'll do the rest_

 _And learn until our brains all rot!"_

* * *

Well, that was….interesting. "Ah, the joys of music! Now, off to bed, you have a big day ahead of you!" Dumbledore said.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah, that was longer than most of them. Did you like Renee's battle with the sorting hat? And the OC's I introduced? I think Sandra is going to be the main other OC besides Clara and Renee for a while, but the others will factor in eventually. Did you like the ways I portrayed Slytherin and the idea of a safe space for Hufflepuffs?**

 **This will be my main story for a while. I can think much more clearly about Clara and Renee than I can with the others, so I'll be taking a break from "Two Loves of Olympe" and "Voldemort's Back!" for a while. However, I might start a Harry/Ron fic sometime soon, I totally ship that.**

 **I'll be changing the title of this story to "Clara Malfoy and Renee Black." When I first started, I hadn't realized she would be as important to the story as she is. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for the story.**

 **Also, I chose "Good Day Sunshine," by the Beatles because I wanted an older song that would have been around in canon Hogwarts time. It was the first song that popped into my head, although I have no idea how the Hogwarts song would actually work out with that. My sister and I sometimes try to sing it to whatever tune we can.**

 **Anyway, enough about me. Please review! I love my readers!**


	13. Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Secrets

**Renee POV**

I stood behind Sandra as Stacy led us to the common rooms. I had to remember my way to the Great Hall, so I watched carefully. It still wasn't easy with all the moving staircases and talking portraits. I decided to ask Sandra to go with me after all.

Stacy led us to a portrait of a man holding a snake. My first thought was that it was Hermes with Martha and George, a picture I'd seen around camp many times. But a closer look made me realize that it was Merlin, who the hat had told me was a Slytherin.

"Password?" Merlin asked

Stacy turned to us. "Now remember this. You'll be notified when there's a change. But the current password is 'serpens domum.'"

I knew that meant "snake house" in Latin, but I wasn't sure how. I knew Greek, not Latin.

We entered the common room. Because we were in the dungeons, the lake gave the light a greenish tinge. "You can pull back that curtain and see the depths of the lake. In the summer term, they sometimes let you go swimming after exams." There were green plush armchairs and decorations of snakes. "Girls' dormitories are on the left, boys on the right. Now, get to bed, we have a big day tomorrow." I would pretend, of course. I still had to meet Clara later.

A girl cornered me. She looked like another first year, although she was much bigger than me. "You're planning to sneak out. And we won't let you." Two other girls appeared behind her. Sandra was talking to Gill, so she didn't see any of this.

"Oh, lay off her, it's only her first day," the tallest girl said, mimicking Sophia. "Well, no, I don't think so."

I groaned. Maybe I would just stay at Hufflepuff every night, that would be better than being tortured by these three. "You must be Morgana, Ariana, and Kaylee. How nice to meet you." I was glad Chiron had let Clara and I bring our weapons, although now was not the time for threatening. Forgetting I didn't know my way to the Hufflepuff common room, I ran out the portrait and away from Slytherin. I really didn't want to go back. Classes that I didn't have with Clara or Ginny were going to be torture, and it was only the first night. I planned to go back after breakfast when nobody would be there so I could get my stuff, but otherwise I would stay with Clara.

I got a little lost, but I didn't pass anyone, and soon, I made it to a still life. I tickled the pear, as Clara had told me to do.

"Hello, miss! Looking for a midnight snack?" The creature had a squeaky voice and was a little shorter than a goblin. Someone grabbed my arm and I turned to face Clara and Ginny. Clara gave me a hug, as if she hadn't seen me in forever.

Ginny had a tray loaded with appetizers. She carried it down the corridor to the Hufflepuff common room.

"Okay, don't tell anyone this, but if you ever want to come, you have to tap out 'Helga Hufflepuff,' on this barrell, two from the bottom and middle of the second row. Like this." Clara demonstrated.

"So, wait. We don't need a password?" Giny and I asked at the same time, then laughed. "Well, I guell I know how to get into your room then," I added.

"Not without the password, you don't! Oh, Ron and the twins are going to resent me so much for being friends with you."

Clara pushed the barrells aside and made her way into a cheerful, yellow and black room. I grinned; the room had a much better feeling about it than my own common room did.

Clara led us to an area that looked like a closet. "Trust me, it's much bigger on the inside. I went in here with Kat and Rebecca earlier." My face fell. Clara was outgrowing me, and I couldn't do a thing about it.

"I thought this was just for guests?"

"No, but when we have guests, it repels anyone who doesn't have the password. Yep, you can set up a password. I bet you can guess what ours is."

"Are you serious, Clara? You can't use 'Andromeda Jeanne' for everything!"

"Why not?"

"Well, it's not a very secure password, is it?" But I rolled my eyes and nodded all the same. Andromeda Jeanne had become more than just a boat we had the misfortune to be on. It had become our code word for both "danger," and for our friendship. I smiled.

"You know I'd never ditch you for the other Hufflepuffs, right Renee? If you ever need something, you come first. Now, how's the Slytherin common room?"

"It's not much….well…." I couldn't talk, and Clara sensed I was having trouble.

"What is it, Wren?"

"I'm scared to be in Slytherin. The girls are mean, everyone's a pureblood, and I've already been threatened." At this, both Ginny and Clara raised their eyebrows.

"Was it Kaylee? Ron knows her sister, Pansy. They're bad news, don't let them get to you," Ginny consoled.

"What about your friend, Sandra?" Clara asked.

"She hasn't stood up for me, not once."

"Seriously?"

I nodded. "Clara, can I live here? Please?"

"I'm sorry, Renee. You were sorted into Slytherin. And what about Gill and Tomasz? They seem nice."

"Clara, they're boys! And I'm, well, you know.

"So? Show them that you're more than that. Now, show us something, Ginny, and then we will tell you our secrets."

I looked at her, affronted. "You never told me we were telling her anything," I whispered, but Clara just shook her head.

* * *

"You'll never believe me"- _fat chance_ , I thought, _we go to a magical wizarding school and I'm the daughter of Aphrodite, so I'll believe anything_ -"but my mum gave me a magical diary. And it writes back!"

"That's so cool!" Clara exclaimed, but I wasn't so sure.

"Are you sure that's safe, Ginny? I mean, show us. Please."

"Okay." Ginny opened a little green book. "Ron will be in so much trouble when Mum finds out what he and Harry did. I hope they don't blame me." She spoke as she wrote, outlining the name "Harry" in little hearts. I laughed, and Clara smacked me. She must've noticed the hearts too.

Thankfully, Ginny didn't seem to notice. She was too busy looking at the diary, where the words had disappeared. They were being replaced by the diary's own words. "Your parents won't blame you, Ginny. Now, tell me more about that heartthrob, Harry Potter."

Ginny turned beet red. "See? It writes back!"

Clara laughed, but I still wasn't sure. "What did Harry and Ron do?" I asked, to diffuse the attention from her diary.

"They flew my dad's enchanted car here when they missed-or, were locked out from, depending on who you listen to-the train. They were spotted by Muggles, and Hermione's not even talking to them."

"Who's Hermione?"

"That bushy-haired girl who asked me if I had seen them when we got off the train."

I nodded, hoping I could meet Hermione, Harry, and Ron sometime soon. "So, they're second-years?"

"Yep. They defeated You-Know-Who again and saved the Sorcerer's Stone last year."

"Who's You-Know-Who?"

Ginny gasped. "Are you serious? You don't know? You two are hopeless!"

Clara looked at her, confused.

"Well, the wizard world is not safe. Once, there was a wizard who went….bad. As bad as they come. His name…." she shuddered. "His name was Voldemort. Wizards still do not speak it. When Harry Potter was a baby, You-Know-Who tried to kill him. When he wants to kill you, he will do it, and nothing will stop him. But when he attacked the Potters, when he tried to kill Harry….he supposedly died. However, Dumbledore doesn't believe he's really gone, and neither do we. He tried to come back again at the end of last year by means of the Sorcerer's Stone, an object that grants immortality and endless wealth. I think Ron said it was through another's body. Harry defeated him again, along with help from Ron and Hermione."

"Wow, that sounds as dark as-" I elbowed Clara before she gave away anything. "As dark as night," she finished, but Ginny looked at us oddly.

I looked at a large clock. "Guys, it's nearly two, we should go back."

"I'll walk you guys back," said Clara, but we shook our heads. "Just in case anyone is still up, I don't want you to be seen with me right now. They'll give you some trouble if they see us together. I want to wait it out a little bit. Maybe Kaylee and Morgana and Ariana will get better."

Clara looked doubtful, but Ginny and I nodded. "We'll be fine, Clara."

* * *

 **A/N: so that's that. Renee and Clara will start classes in the next chapter. Do you think Renee will ever let them tell Ginny about being demigods? Some of those Slytherin girls seem so mean! Well, classes in the next chapter, can't wait to see what that brings!**

 **Shout out to** _ **chocolate-writing-perfection**_ **and** _ **B00kfan**_ **for always reviewing for almost every chapter. I love you guys and all my readers! Please review!**


	14. Herbology

**Clara POV**

Well, I was certainly glad Draco didn't have any siblings in our year, or at all. Renee would keep me grounded enough so that if I ever _did_ let anything slip, she'd find a way to cover it up. But that wouldn't even need to happen because Renee had my back.

In the morning, she made to sit at the Hufflepuff table, but I pushed her away. "Renee, you can't do this. Please. Give Slytherin a chance. Try with Sandra. Please."

Professor Sprout, our head of house, passed out our schedules. I was sad to see that the only class I had with Renee was transfiguration, and that wasn't until tomorrow. However, I did have herbology with Ginny and she had potions with Renee later. Only a little sad about being apart from Renee, I paid full attention to Kat, Rebecca, and a few second-years; Justin, Ernie, and Hannah.

I had met our male prefect last night. His name was Cedric, and I almost wondered if he was an Apollo himself, he was so hot. He was really nice, too, and all the older girls seemed to desire him. I even caught Kat's eye on him a few times. Not that I cared about boys, of course.

Ernie offered to show me to the greenhouses for herbology, my first class. I said I'd be fine, but I still managed to get completely lost. I ended up near the forest and next to a large hut. The giant man, Hagrid, stepped out. "Are you lost, Miss Bradley?"

I jumped. "You….you know my name?"

"What else is there to do when you're the groundskeeper? You learn the names of those you can befriend, Clara. The greenhouses are back that way."

"How did you know where I was headed?"

"Hardly anyone comes out here for classes unless it's for herbology. Hurry along now, Sprout won't be mad, it's only the first day."

I heard noises from Greenhouse 1 and hurried inside. Ginny beckoned me over to her table, which had different plants on it.

"Ah, hello Clara, dear. We were wondering if you'd turn up. No matter, it's the first day. You're lucky you have me first, though. Some of your other teachers won't be so….accepting, I guess. Anyway, who knows what devil's snare is?"

A Gryffindor boy I didn't know raised his hand. "Mister Avery?"

"Devil's snare is a plant that traps the victim. Only if you don't struggle, you'll be free. It fears the light. Hermione defeated it last year in the way to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but if she hadn't, Ron Weasley would be dead." The boy, who was a tall kid with dreadlocks, looked over at Ginny and smiled.

Ginny shrugged at me, and I laughed. "Quiet, Miss Weasley and Miss Bradley!" Sprout yelled, which just caused us to crack up even more.

"Yes, Mister Avery is correct. And how did you know all that about Miss Granger?"

"I've heard stories from other Gryffindors."

"Well, good job, Mister Avery. Take a point for Gryffindor!"

The bell rang then, and Ginny bragged to me about how _her_ house had won the first point from _my_ head of house.

"Clarissa, can I talk to you a moment?" I looked at the herbology professor, hoping this wouldn't be about my laughing in class. Ginny ran to catch up with her roommate, Rachel, to get to their next class.

"I suppose I haven't formally introduced myself. I'm Professor Sprout, your herbology professor and head of house. I want you to that I am one of the few professors Dumbledore told about you and Renee, because he knew I could be trusted. I want you to know that if your demigod heritage is ever causing problems, come talk to me. I'm a daughter of Demeter, although most of the students and staff don't know that. But I'm trusting you. I will tell your friend when she has her first lesson as well."

I smiled. "You're a Demeter? That's so cool! Now I don't feel quite so alone."

Professor Sprout smiled. "And let Renee know she's welcome in the guest room at all times, which I think you, Kat, and Rebecca must have been the quickest first years yet to discover."

I grinned. "Thanks, Professor Sprout!"

I ran to my next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and passed Renee coming down with Sandra. She gave me a quick hug before running down to herbology.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

My first class had been Defense Against the Dark Arts, which was kind of a joke. Honestly, I could teach that class better than crazy Professor Lockhart. I've actually fought monsters, which is way more than he can say. I didn't for a second believe anything in his books, although Sandra seems to be in love with him.

I sat down with Sandra at a table near the back. "Sandra, why didn't you stand up for me last night?"

"You didn't need it. You handled it well on your own. Besides, they're not worth it."

"Are you _serious_ right now? Kaylee and Morgana _threatened_ me, Sandra!"

"I didn't hear, I was talking to Gill and Tomasz."

I nodded skeptically. "Of course you were. And what about Draco? At dinner last night?"

"You handled that one just fine."

" _Really_?" I asked. "Sandra, I don't think I belong in Slytherin."

"Nonsense, the hat put you here. We all thought it was a fluke when Sophia got in, but then Stacy did, and, well, _we_ belong here."

"Isn't the hat ever wrong?"

"Occasionally, but trust me, Renee, you belong here."

I just stared at her

"Alright, I'll let you in on a secret, even though Stacy told me not to tell anyone. It's a rite of passage. Slytherins are supposed to be brash, so it was a test to see if you could really stand up for yourself. If you couldn't, you would have been resorted."

I only half believed her. When we arrived at the greenhouse, we sat together, but I didn't know if we could really be friends. I watched as the Ravenclaws filed in. I waved at Luna, the girl from the boat.

It was only moments before everyone was there, and somehow they had all made it so there wasn't room left for Luna. She blushed, and I realized she was probably as lonely as I was. "Professor, can you draw up a third chair for this table?"

Sprout came over, saw Luna, and created a chair at once. I heard Kaylee whispering to Morgana and Ariana, probably laughing at me. Some others joined in. Luna gave me a relieved smile, and even Sandra had nodded at the idea.

Luna was wearing a lime-green dress under her robes, and she had a light and airy way to her; she was slightly distant.

Sandra raised her eyebrows at me, and I shook my head. I'd explain later. Somehow, I had thought inviting Luna would help, and I couldn't say why.

Sprout asked us to describe something called a "devil's snare." I listened only halfheartedly as a Ravenclaw boy explained it. I couldn't wait for lunch, when I could finally see Clara.

I guess I must have zoned out, because Sandra was shaking me and I realized the bell was ringing. "Race ya to lunch!"

I shook my head. I needed a little peace and quiet. As I was walking out, Professor Sprout called out, "Miss Sanderson, a word if I may?"

I groaned, knowing I'd be in trouble, probably for not paying attention.

"I want you to know that you're always welcome in Hufflepuff," said the professor, wiping her hands on a towel to get rid of some of the soil on them. I tried not to make a face; what would Mom think if she saw this lady?

"I can tell you aren't exactly comfortable with your housing placement. The way you helped Miss Lovegood and the way your housemates reacted, well, I strongly discourage the latter. If you have problems with any of them, please come to me. I don't know if Severus is going to favor you as much as some of the other teachers. You're….you're different, Renee. Different from the other Slytherins, and, I imagine, different from the other Aphrodite's, if they're still the same as they were in my day."

"You know about that?"

"I am one of the few who do. You see, I'm a daughter of Demeter, and I attended camp myself as a young girl.

"Also, I'm taking two points from Slytherin for Morgana and Kaylee. It would be three, for Ariana, but I'm giving one back because of what you did for Luna."

I nodded, happy that I had a professor on my side.

* * *

 **A/N: So there's** _ **Herbology**_ **. Sorry it was a bit of a filler. My next few will be, until winter break, after I finish SS and CoS to remember first-year details and figure out how to fit Renee and Clara into the plot a little better.**

 **I hope you liked the part about Sprout being a Demeter child. I don't think I can do that with any of the other professor but for Sprout, it's perfect. I might do something with Trelawney, but then I'd need to make her Clara's sister, so I don't know.**

 **What do you think of Sandra? Will she help Renee break the Slytherin stigma or will she just drag her down? Only time will tell, and I'm not sure I know myself. I can always see the ending and sometimes a small part of things that happen in the middle, but the beginning is always harder. Anyway, I'm thinking some interesting plot twists in the coming chapter.**

 **Please review! Love my readers! 3**


	15. LockedOut, Lockhart, and a Flying Chance

**Renee POV**

I noticed something was wrong as Sandra and Gill stood in front of me, blocking my way to the common room, to Merlin. To my back were Stacy and Tomasz. Sandra groaned, and Stacy made her way past us.

"Oh gods, it's been a fortnight, hasn't it? And none of us bothered to learn the new password?"

I heard laughter. At first I thought it came from behind me, but then I realized it echoed too much. I looked around, seeing only the tolerable Slytherins, who I had gotten to know quite quickly. Sophia and the other prefects and head boy came up to the front. I realized what had happened.

"Sandra," I hissed! "They've found a way to lock us out!" I gulped. The laughter reminded me of three girls who never ceased to torment me, and there was another voice, one that sounded male and sinister, but almost like Clara's. How Draco, Morgana, Kaylee, Ariana, and the rest of them had managed to do this was a mystery, but I was scared. I reached for Clara's hand before remembering she wasn't there. Sandra clasped mine anyway.

Up at the front, Sophia had noticed it too. "I demand that you let us in, and I'm head girl, so you have to listen to me! You will all receive detentions, and if I find the person who is behind this, I will make sure you get extra!"

"You're not at all threatening, Ballias!" The people inside roared with laughter.

"Warrington! I should have known! _Why_ did they make you a prefect?" Sophia looked ready to bang her head against the wall, but the head boy whispered something to her, and she nodded. "That's it, I'm going to Snape!"

In my head I heard Clara trying to tell me something, something instinctual. Something I should be doing. The voice changed to Clarisse's, and she spoke more clearly. _Use your powers, idiot!_

"Sophia, before you go, let me try something. I can't guarantee it will work but….I'll try."

Sophia nodded, and the people behind the door guffawed. "Like _you_ could stop us, Sanderson!"

 _Oh, you'll see, Kaylee Parkinson!_ "Why don't you just….open up that door. There we go, nice and easy, we never meant to hurt you, we're friends! See, that's right, we have to work together. We're a house, you know. That's it, we're friends." I could see that Sandra was seriously thinking about it, thinking about becoming friends with Kaylee or something. "That's it, just open the door."

Finally, the meaner students relented. Draco said a few words and the portrait swung open. I was proud, and Sandra hugged me. Then Gill did, too, and I blushed. I hadn't really spoken to him much, but he was nice.

Kaylee screamed. "You! Renee Sanderson, _what did you do_? That's not the kind of magic we learn here!"

"I guess I'm just very charismatic," I said slyly.

"You ruined _everything_ , Sanderson!" she ran out of the room, and I shuddered.

* * *

"Detention, Miss Sanderson, and if I hear another word about your stupid _charisma_ , you will be back on the train quicker than you can say 'Slytherin!'"

I had just sat down to relax in the common room when he came in, Kaylee at his heels. He accused me of doing something nasty to win what was "just a game," according to Kaylee.

"But sir, I didn't hurt her!"

"Silence! Ten points from Slytherin!"

I could almost hear the emeralds trickling from the hourglass. I had thought that Snape was supposed to _favor_ us as a _house_ , not as individuals.

Ariana came over. I had thought she was just a pawn for Kaylee and Morgana, but seeing her alone was….terrifying, to say the least. She stared me down, and I watched Snape leave.

"You! You lost us all the points I got from Snape for brewing a good beautification potion yesterday! Not that I need it, of course. However, _you_ could use some!"

Slytherin erupted with laughter again. Suddenly, before my eyes, my hair went sleek and my robes transformed into a beautiful black dress. Ariana stared, but my transformation didn't stop there. My hair curled into little ringlets and a silver dove chain appeared on my neck.

"H-how did you do that? You can't transfigure our robes, you're not allowed! And anyway, you don't know how to perform even simple nonverbal spells yet!" As she said that, the final piece of my outfit fell into place, a green and silver crown with a snake between two doves. Now, I knew what my mom was trying to say. _You belong in Slytherin, Renee Sanderson. Never doubt that._

* * *

Snape asked me to stay after class a week later. Ginny looked at me nervously, but I shook my head. "It's fine," I mouthed, giving her a little push. She nodded solemnly.

"Sanderson, your detention will take place tonight at eight with professor Lockhart. You, and some other, ah, _delinquents_ who deserve to be more punished, but somehow got _lucky_ , will be addressing his fan mail." Snape gave me an evil grin.

I groaned. Not only were Lockhart's lessons getting worse and worse, I had seen him trying to make Harry into some kind of celebrity. I knew Harry didn't appreciate this, because who would? Well, no, I could think of a few who would. Kaylee, Morgana, and Ariana, for example, would love that. My sister Drew probably would too. But as for me, I wanted to earn my fame. I was happy that I'd get to meet some other people, though. Apart from my friends, the other first years, and the other Slytherins, I didn't know many people.

I ran to Hufflepuff to tell Clara that the detention was tonight. She sighed when I told her what it was.

"He has got to be the most ridiculous professor ever! You make sure to charmspeak him into giving us a good lesson for once, Renee!"

I laughed. "I'll try."

* * *

"Ah, beautiful Renee. So lovely to see you." Lockhart handed me a letter and a pile of address labels. A boy was working with another stack. He looked up and smiled, seeming glad he didn't have to do this alone. Well, he had Lockhart, I guess, but that didn't count.

"Ah, Harry, Gladys Gudgeon, huge fan of mine," said Lockhart, handing him a signed portrait. I sat down, realizing the boy was Harry Potter. I smiled. Lockhart was the only professor who _ever_ called us by our first names, which just made him even more of a joke.

Harry and I fell into the silent pattern of addressing the letters and occasionally looking at each other and rolling our eyes if Lockhart muttered, "Fame is a fickle friend, remember that," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does."

I was falling asleep and wondering how long we had been there when I realized Harry was staring at me, wide-eyed. I looked quizzically at him before hearing a noise, a sharp hissing. " _Riiiiipp, killll, tear,"_ over and over again.

"Did you guys hear that?" Harry asked, alarmed.

"Hear what? I think you're getting a little tired, Harry, and….Great Scott, look at the time, we've been here nearly four hours, no wonder. You two go up to bed, now. And don't expect a treat like this every time you get into trouble!"

He practically shoved us out the door, and I took a big gulp of air. That room had been very tight. Harry turned to go, but before he did, I whispered, "Harry, that hissing voice? I heard it too, clear as day."

He nodded, and we parted ways, not knowing that that night had been the beginning of something huge.

* * *

The weeks passed smoothly after that. Kaylee and her friends teased me all the time, Sandra stuck up for me when she felt like it, and the homework load was just getting heavier. McGonagall announced that we were ready to turn beetles into buttons, something we had been greatly looking forward to. Meanwhile, we were learning how to make things fly in charms. In herbology, things got more and more interesting as we learned about and tested on all types of plants. Sprout was always helpful with the demigod thing.

Flying lessons began in early October, which was a relief. We had that with the Gryffindors, too. I wished Clara was there, though.

That was fun. I was really getting the hang of it. Tomasz, on the other hand, was clumsy and fell off his broom the third time we did it. I heard a loud " _crack!"_ as he sped past me, flying backwards. I heard the same evil laughter as I had from the night of the lockout, and knew that his broom hadn't malfunctioned. Kaylee sped down from her high perch, a blur of thick black hair and the smell of some sort of nasty perfume that I recognized from camp.

"Everyone, stay here while I take Mister Ruddernot here to the hospital wing. If I see one broom leave the ground you'll be packing your bags quicker than you can say 'Quidditch!'"

I groaned. I hated to miss out on flying.

Morgana noticed something glinting on the ground and whispered to Kaylee and Ariana. Kaylee scooped it up and took off on her broom. A minute later, I realized it was his triangle-eye-thing chain that he always wore. I had heard him tell Sandra it was very special to him, and that it symbolized possibility.

Sandra saw what I was going to do a moment before I did it. "Renee, _no!"_ You can't get us into trouble like that! You've already lost us so many points!"

"Sandra, that's Tomasz's. I can't just let Kaylee get away with it!"

Kaylee was leering down at me. "Come and get it, you big _baby_!"

Without a second thought, I hopped onto the broom and raced to the Ravenclaw tower, where Kaylee was hovering. Sandra gave me a disapproving look, but I was paying attention to Gill, who looked ready to faint. He was watching me closely.

Morgana and Ariana had risen into the air with Kaylee, they were surprisingly good fliers as well. They passed the necklace to each other, cackling with glee. I didn't see what I could do. They had made a game of trying to get it through the turrets of the castle, and I hovered, waiting for an opportunity to grasp it. I followed them around, mirroring their every move. Sandra was screaming at me, Ginny and Gill were shuddering, and I feared for my time at Hogwarts.

Ariana must have thought I wasn't looking, so she threw it hard through one of the loops beside me. I veered left, keeping my broom level. I reached the wall and managed to grab the chain with my foot. Ginny's friend Rachel pointed up at me, gaping, but everyone else stepped back as they saw someone storming out of the castle.

"Come with me, Miss Sanderson, you insufferable little girl."

It just _had_ to be Snape. I wouldn't make it to dinner that night, that was certain. Snape pulled me by my collar up to the castle. I tried to tug free, but his grip was too tight.

"Miss Sanderson, that was a very sly move. Let me talk to Flint."

He led me to Lockhart's classroom, rapped on the door, and glared at the eccentric professor in his turquoise robes. I honestly couldn't blame him.

"Flint, come with me," he said, barely acknowledging Lockhart, who was staring open mouthed at him. A tall, thick boy I knew only by sight rose, seeming happy to leave Lockhart behind. _Who wouldn't_? I thought.

Snape led us down the corridor. We passed a charms classroom, and I saw Clara. She noticed me and immediately her face turned green.

We stopped at an unused classroom, where he ushered us inside. Flint looked angrily at me, wondering why Snape had brought him with a scrawny, beautiful first year. I was, too.

"Flint, I'm willing to make a deal with you. We can get back at Gryffindor, but only if you treat her nicely. I have found you a keeper."

"Oh, all right, show me what she can do, then."

Snape explained to me what was happening and told Flint about my miraculous save. Flint nodded, groaning. "Marcus, we're getting close. And desperate. I'm not saying you have to _like_ the girl, of course. I'm just saying she'd make a good keeper."

Flint groaned. "Okay, fine. But I expect her training harder than the rest of the team if we want to win that match!"

I wanted to protest that, but I couldn't find words.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay so there's another chapter. Sorry to include Renee more than Clara these days. I'll make it her story a little later too.**

 **I realize that one was really all over the place. I just sort of had to show that all these things were happening at once. I was going to make this the Halloween chapter, too, but once I realized how long this was going on, I realized that I'm better off just doing that for next time. The Halloween chapter will be the last one for a while that is mostly Renee. Then I will go back to my original plan of switching.**

 **Anyway, I've got winter break coming up, so I expect to be posting a bit more soon. Maybe I can even get back into Voldemort's Back. I hope so. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. They mean so much to me. If you are a frequent reviewer, I promise I'll check out some of your stories. Anyway, please tell me what you thought!**

 **~Hufflepufferfish**


	16. Halloween

**Clara POV**

The days were going fast, but I missed Renee. It's not like anything had come between us, just that we didn't see each other as much these days. Of course we sat together in transfiguration, but Sandra, Tomasz, and Gill were always at the table too. I mean, not to say I wasn't happy that she was making friends, but we were drifting apart.

I heard about the flying incident, everyone did. The rumors flew. Rebecca said the only reason they hadn't made her a seeker was because of Draco Malfoy's father. Ernie, who claimed to have seen the whole thing from his herbology class, said she did flips in the air, trying to block the chain from getting damaged. Kaylee said that she had been going to give the chain back and thought flying would be the easiest way to do it, but nobody believed that.

Renee was also becoming friends with some Gryffindors other than Ginny as well. I was of course happy that Slytherin and Gryffindor were, for once, getting along, but I needed my best friend. I hoped that she would at least remember my birthday on Halloween.

Granted, it wasn't like we had much chance to talk. Being in none of the same classes really pulled us apart. I missed camp, but I had been taking in too much of Hogwarts to think about it. Of course I wrote Will and Annabeth occasionally, and sometimes even Clarisse. I wrote my Muggle mortal family as well.

But I was happy here. That wasn't as much the case for Renee. Sometimes, though, I did get the feeling that she was ignoring me, or at least ignoring Ginny. She never came to Hufflepuff unless it was just the two of us. When I asked her about it, she would blame it on Quidditch practice or studying, but I thought there was probably more to it. She was, she had always been, an enigma to me. I never understood her and her ways.

It was hard to believe we had been here for two months, and that we had known we were wizards for three. The weather got colder and we often came upon the great hall ceiling as swirling leaves. I really loved fall. I only wished I could ride horses and go apple picking, like I did with Jade and Renee and the Bradleys when we were little. I hadn't written Jade in a while, so I decided to send her a letter.

* * *

 _Dear_ _Jade or_ _Juniper_ _or whatever_ _,_

 _I miss you. Did anyone stay at camp for the year or did they all leave? How is Grover?_

 _Hey, Did you ever get periods where Renee wouldn't talk to you? I mean, before the demigod thing? She's really weird whenever our friend Ginny is around. Ginny doesn't generally notice, but I do. Let me know._

 _Love always,_

 _Clara Jeanne Bradley._

* * *

 **Renee POV**

It was getting to be Halloween, and I needed a well-deserved break. I loved coming into the Great hall and sipping hot cocoa as the leaves swirled around me.

I knew Clara was getting suspicious about the way I didn't like to be there when Ginny was around. And as much as I blamed it on Quidditch and homework, she seemed to figure out that it was something else. I hoped she didn't think I was jealous, because that wasn't the case at all. It was just that I did not for a minute trust Ginny's magical diary. There was something that seemed off about it, and I didn't want to get hurt. As Clara and Ginny spilled their hearts out to it, and it gave advice about their crushes, homework, and family lives, I did some research of my own.

I spent a lot of my free time in the library looking at books like, _Modern Magic Apparatuses_ , _The Things Muggles Dream Up: A Guide to Performing Spells on Normal Objects_ , and _Charm your Dreams!_ with no luck. I couldn't see anything about magical diaries that talked back, and I wished that was enough proof for me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong about the diary. I did realize that it mostly wanted to talk about Ginny's Harry Potter, which to her seemed very generous, but to me, it looked dangerous. Why would a diary that was _hers_ want to know more about a person who was out of the equation completely?

I decided to write to Annabeth and see if she had any knowledge about it. Clara had been right to get an owl, Princess just purred and was almost useless. I had to go to the owlery whenever I wanted to use one, and the school owls were tired creatures. Sometimes, I asked Clara to let me borrow Dusk, but for this, I couldn't risk it.

* * *

 _Dear Annabeth,_

 _Are you at camp, or did you decide to go back? Have you made amends with your father? I really hope you have._

 _Anyway, I need to know something. Here at Hogwarts, my friend Ginny has a magic diary that talks back to her. She loves this very much, and Clara uses it too. However, I have some misgivings about it. I've been looking in the library, and….nothing. I haven't found anything to suggest that this kind of book could be bad, but I need your advice. Could using this type of thing be ultimately hurting Clara and Ginny? Please let me know what you think._

 _XOXO_

 _Renee Andromeda Sanderson_

* * *

I was planning a grand surprise for Clara's birthday. I remembered her elaborate Halloween costumes when we were little, the fairy princess wings she made from cardboard and painted gold and purple. Now that I had magic, money, and charmspeak, I could really do something amazing. I wished Jade (or Juniper, whatever) could be here. I'd need to get my hands on some of that potion to make the photos move, and then I could send them to her.

Anyway, I had prayed to my mother for a simple black dress, telling her what I wanted to do. Of course, she gave it to me.

I asked around, trying to see if anyone knew of a good artist who could keep a secret. It turned out that Gill was. I asked him to cut the dress into a badger shape, and he agreed. I didn't even need charmspeak! I was starting to get the feeling that Gill could become a better friend to me than even Sandra. Never Clara, though.

After it was cut as a badger, I painted some yellow swirls and some special words: _Kindness, Sunbeam, Friendship, Family, Andromeda Jeanne_. I charmed the dress to be a little thicker, and on the night before Halloween, I was ready.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

It was Halloween, and my twelfth birthday. Dusk was very busy and had already brought me three cards from Annabeth, Percy, and Will. She'd then flew out again and a few hours later, brought me a response from Jade.

* * *

 _Dear Clara,_

 _So good to hear from you! Most people have left, but Clarisse and a few others are here. How is wizard school? I hope you and Renee are having lots of fun!_

 _As for our Rennie, give her time. She's just adjusting and you know how she is. I only remember one time with Allison and Melissa where she got mad at me for seemingly no reason. It was when they were teasing you about your brothers, and she got really upset with me, because_ I _was the one who kept them around. But I think she_ can _be irrational when thinking of her friends. I think she trusts her gut too much sometimes. Just give her time and make sure she knows you're not leaving her._

 _I miss you! Happy birthday!_

 _Hugs,_

 _Juniper (Jade)_

* * *

Well, that made sense, I guess. I had gotten up early for my birthday, and now it was finally breakfast time. I didn't realize how hungry I had been. Dusk must have been out all night and early morning getting my letters. She was such a loyal owl.

I ran down the stairs, hoping that they'd be serving my favorite breakfast, pancakes with jelly. It was delicious, and I used to eat it all the time at home and at camp.

Most students were just walking in when I got there. Kat and Rebecca waved me over and handed me cards.

"Happy birthday, Clara!"

"Thanks, Ernie!"

Justin Finch-Fletchley handed me a box. I opened it, and it was full of Bertie Bott's beans, which had become my favorite candy in the wizard world. From the looks of it, all my Hufflepuff friends had pooled a little money to buy me the package. I hugged Ernie, Justin, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Kat, and Rebecca.

Ginny came over and gave me a card. I scanned the room for Renee.

I spotted her almost immediately. She was carrying something that looked heavy. I ran to her.

"Renee! You remembered!"

"Obviously!" she said in a voice that reminded me of Snape. "Take a look."

It was a dress. Not just any dress, but a beautiful black one that must have been from her mother. At a closer look, it was a badger. There were glowing golden words, too.

"Friendship, Kindness, Sunbeam, Family, _Andromeda Jeanne_ ," I read. "Renee, you are the best friend ever! Come to Hufflepuff with me and help me put this on! Right now!"

Renee laughed.

"Classes in half an hour," Kat called after us.

Ginny quickly caught up with us, and I raised my eyebrows at Renee. She gave a tiny shake of her head.

When we reached the common room, I made to tap out "Helga Hufflepuff" like always, but Renee stopped me. "It's your birthday. I'll do it." I just nodded.

Renee tapped the rhythm in a much angrier manner than any Hufflepuff ever could, and I was surprised we weren't locked out.

"What's up?" I whispered so Ginny couldn't hear. By this time, though, I could tell she knew something.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

Clara and Ginny were both staring at me, and I decided I needed to just come out with it.

"I'm worried about you. Both of you."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"It's that _diary_! I don't trust it."

"What's not to like? We're….witches, Renee, anything's possible."

I was so worried that Clara was going to slip what else we were as well, and I knew she had almost been about to. I gave a sigh of relief before saying, "It just makes me nervous. I don't really know why, to be honest. I just don't get it, it doesn't seem safe."

"Renee, stop. We'll be fine."

"As long as you're sure." I rolled my eyes.

* * *

The day passed slowly with my worrying about Clara and Ginny, as well as anticipating the feast. When the last bell rang after herbology, I raced out to go get ready. It wasn't until I was halfway to the castle that I realized I'd forgotten my bag. I walked back to the greenhouses and met Luna halfway. She had my bag.

"I dropped a gurdyroot in it for good luck, Renee."

I looked at her. "Oh. Thanks. Walk with me a bit?"

Luna smiled brightly. "Thanks for what you did that first day. I haven't forgotten, you know. There's something about you, Renee. You, well, you're different. I see something in your aura."

Luna was strange, but there was something that made me like her.

* * *

The lucid, ugly decorations in the Great Hall could only have been there for one reason. _Lockhart_. I was lucky enough to meet up with Clara to go in. The badger dress was beautiful, and I was so glad that I had done that for my best friend. We laughed at the decorations, which were awful. I glanced at the professors, noticing that the only one who seemed at all happy about the circumstances was, of course, our dumb Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

If the opening meal was good, the Halloween feast was amazing. Mostly, we had a lot of sugar, similar to Halloween in America. There was hot chocolate with pumpkin spice, which was absolutely delicious. There were also pumpkin pasties and pastries with different creme fillings. I stuffed myself. I could see my friends doing the same things at their tables.

"Renee, you've gotta cut him some slack, really. I heard you laughing with Clara about these decorations, but they're really quite brilliant. And besides, look at all the things he's done. I can lend you a copy of his book, _Holidays with Hags_."

"Sandra, I _have_ the book. Everyone does. It was on our supply list!"

"Well, have you read it? It's totally my favorite of his!"

I rolled my eyes. Gill gave me a small smile, and tried to pull me into his own conversation, which was thankfully not about Lockhart.

"So, what's your Muggle world like? I mean, what do you do for fun? And, like, what's America like?"

I was really starting to notice him more. He was a small, Black kid, kind of skinny, and bald. He had an amazing smile and when he saw me, his happiness showed.

"America is pretty cool. I mean, I've always been a Muggle until this year"-not true, of course, but why did he need to know that?- "and I've never known anything else. I would just go to Clara's house all the time with our friends and her five brothers. I wonder how they're doing. I'll need to ask her." I was rambling again. "We both lived in New York and went to the same school and everything."

"Did you go to the Empire State Building?"

I had to force myself not to laugh and to stay calm. That was, after all, where Mount Olympus was.

"Once or twice, I guess."

"What about Coney Island?"

"Every summer, with Clara's family and our other friend, Jade. This year we were finally allowed to go off by ourselves." Or, we would have been if we weren't on the _Andromeda Jeanne_. Again, more things that Gill didn't need to know.

"That's so cool! So, how long have you known Clara?"

"Quite a while, really. Maybe four years. I guess we were both friends with Jade, and then we all just started hanging out."

"What about your family?"

Well, I had lived on the streets my entire childhood. I felt somehow older when I first realized I was homeless, when I was maybe five or six. I remembered a man who used to take care of me before that, but he left. And a lot of noise from when I was an infant. I had to decide what to say, because I really hated lying.

"Well, I was an orphan. I lived at an orphanage. I was treated kindly and always welcomed at Clara's or Jade's." Mostly Clara's, Jade didn't really have a place of her own. But again, that didn't need to be known.

"What will you do this summer? Now that you know, I mean?"

"Oh, I'll probably just spend the summer at Clara's to be honest." Yeah, not being honest at all. I'd be at Camp Half-Blood, training and maybe going on another quest. So much for not lying.

Suddenly, we heard a scream, coming from another part of the castle. Sandra grabbed my hand and we stood up. The rest of the Hall was getting up and looking around as well.

Dumbledore rose from his seat. "Students, to your dormitories, please. Staff, please come with me to investigate.

I looked around for Clara, Ginny, and Luna. I spotted Clara's white-blonde hair easily, and Luna's flamboyant clothing was hard to miss. But looking at the Gryffindor table, I counted three redheads where there should have been five. I didn't see Harry's jet-black hair or Hermione's curls, either, and I realized that the Hall had no ghosts tonight.

"I repeat, all students to your dormitories! Now!" Dumbledore was usually calm, but he was panicking now.

We left the room in a hurry, but were blocked by a huge crowd that had gathered outside the girls' bathroom nearest to the staircase.

There was water all over the floor, and a horrible shadow on the wall. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were near the front of the crowd, staring at the shadow.

I stepped forward to have a closer look. It wasn't just a shadow, as I had originally thought. Stepping closer, I realized it was a cat. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat. There was red writing on the wall as well.

 _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware._

* * *

 **A/N: So, how did you like it? I am making Renee into the cautious one, while Clara is kind of carefree. Renee really has an issue with the diary, which will probably turn out to be a good thing. Meanwhile, Clara and Ginny are getting themselves immersed in it.**

 **How do you like my character development so far? Am I doing well with it? Please let me know. And as always, please review!**


	17. Enemies of the Heir, Beware

**Clara POV**

I bet Renee would call me crazy, but I swear I heard a hissing voice right before that cat ended up on the wall, dead.

I did the Hufflepuff thing and walked up to Ginny, who seemed to be crying. "It's okay." I looked at the cat, realizing that she may not have been dead after all.

Behind me, there was a laugh. Of course it came from the Slytherins. "Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, mudbloods!"

I still couldn't believe I was _related_ to that devil-spawn Draco Malfoy, let alone that he was my _brother_!

I saw Kaylee look directly at Colin Creevey and laugh. "Yeah, mudbloods. And Squibs. And half-bloods! And _Blood Traitors!_ "

There was a laugh from the Slytherin crowd, but I noticed that not all of them were happy. Tomasz and Sandra had grabbed Renee, while Stacy was restraining Gill. I could see that they were willing to fight Draco and Kaylee if it came to that, but I was grateful that Renee's classmates held her back, especially knowing that she and Draco had to play Quidditch on the same team in just a few weeks.

Filch had shown up by now, and I had a feeling that he would blame a student for this.

"My cat! What did you do to my cat?" He was pointing at Harry

Dumbledore came striding down and the students parted for him. " _Argus!_ " he exclaimed, interrupting Filch's rant about what he would do to Harry. "Argus, come with me."

Before continuing, he locked eyes with some of the prefects in a way that told them to lead us back to the common rooms. Figuring nobody would notice if I left, I clasped Ginny's hand and we walked slowly to Renee, who was calmer now than she had been.

"Come on, let's go to the kitchens. We need to talk."

"Why not the Hufflepuff common room?" asked Ginny

"More people will notice, honestly."

She nodded and we left,

* * *

"Where were you, Ginny? I checked and I didn't see you _or_ Ron, Harry, and Hermione!"

"I….I don't know."

"Were you the one who screamed?"

"Someone screamed?"

"That's why the feast ended."

"I'm not even sure how I got there, to be honest."

I shook my head worriedly. "Ginny, when did you first see the cat?"

"I don't know, Clara, I really don't."

"Why was there a puddle on the floor?"

"That's one of the few things I _can_ explain. Moaning Myrtle."

"Who?"

"She's the ghost who haunts the girl's' bathroom next to there. She floods it whenever she's feeling really depressed."

Renee almost broke our cover by saying, "Why did she become a ghost, then? She could've gone to the Underworld. She definitely wouldn't have made it into the Fields of Punishment, and maybe she could've even been reborn."

"What? What are you talking about? Underworld, Fields of Punishment, what is this?"

Of course, we knew all of this from Percy and Annabeth's retelling of their quest, but Renee wasn't about to reveal anything. "Oh, I read a lot of Greek mythology. It's fascinating, really."

Ginny nodded, but it didn't seem like she was really there. "I'm going up to bed. I'm tired and I want to get some rest to process things."

* * *

 **Ginny POV**

In reality, I was planning to ask my diary what to do about the feeling that I was part of whatever attacked that cat. Despite Clara's reassurances, I felt like it was all my fault. And where _had_ I been? It was true that I didn't remember the feast, so I must've been somewhere else. But I never used Myrtle's bathroom, so why _was_ I in that corridor, anyway?

I picked up my quill.

* * *

 _Dear Tom,_

 _I don't know what I did tonight. Clara and Renee say I wasn't at the feast, and I'm actually pretty sure that's true. A cat was petrified and hung on a wall along with a message. It said, "_ The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware." _It looked like it was written in blood. Why do I feel like it all pertains to_ me _, Tom?_

I waited a few seconds for the response.

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _I would think it's just nerves and worry about the cat. I can guarantee you did nothing to her. It's not you, I swear._

 _~Tom_

Well, that sounded right. I had one more question for Tom, but I didn't think he could answer it. All evening I had been wondering what Renee had meant when I mentioned Myrtle, about the Underworld and stuff. It made no sense. I decided to sleep on it and not think too much. Taking a long drink of water, I walked to my bed, flopped down, and was out like a light.

* * *

 **A/N: So that was that. Sorry it was a little short, I really just wanted to get the perspectives on what had happened that Halloween night. I won't include much Ginny POV but I had to show her conversation with the diary. The next chapter will feature Renee as keeper for Slytherin and that should be back to my regular 2000+ words. I hope you enjoyed it and as always, please leave some feedback!**

 **~Hufflepufferfish**


	18. The Rogue Bludger

**A/N: So I know this is a canon chapter title but I just feel it fits best for this chapter. I won't do this too much.**

* * *

 **Renee POV**

It was the morning of the match against Gryffindor. I knew Ginny was feeling conflicted because she wanted to cheer for me _and_ for her house, which was understandable. Clara, on the other hand, was sitting with Sandra, Tomasz, Stacy, Sophia, and Gill, which warmed my heart. I was shocked that she'd brave Kaylee's gang and Draco's gang for me, but she loved me more than anyone, except perhaps Jade. As I walked out onto the field, she gave a small wave. She was the best friend in the world, and I was overjoyed to see her with my other friends. Secretly, though, even I was rooting for Gryffindor a little bit. I certainly didn't want _Draco_ catching the snitch. Harry, on the other hand, was pretty nice. Hearing the voices together in Lockhart's detention had brought us a little closer together, and I had sometimes spoken to him since.

I mounted my broom. I had debated on whether to play on the Nimbus 2001's that Malfoy's father had bought the team, but I decided that if I wanted _any_ team unity, I should just take it, at least for this year. Or maybe just this match. That's what Clara had said, too.

Flint came up to me. "Remember your training, stupid. If you let too many goals in, we'll kick you off the team."

"Oh and I bet you have some big, sluggish walrus who can't fly to replace me," I retorted. Flint turned pale, and I knew I'd won. "Wouldn't want to get Crabbe or Goyle as my replacement, would you?"

"Okay, fine, but that's no excuse for you _not_ to play well."

"Do you think I don't care about Slytherin?" I gave him a hard, cold stare.

"Fine, you win, but as soon as we find someone _adequate_ to replace you, you're off the team."

I rolled my eyes. "Let's play, loser!"

I flew up to the goalposts and saw Wood and Flint shake hands in a less-than-friendly way. Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the Quaffle was thrown into the air.

I was the only girl on the Slytherin team, but all of the Gryffindor chasers were female.

George Weasley whacked a Bludger at me, and I braced myself, but it changed direction in midair. My eyes widened; this was not what Bludgers were supposed to do. But no sooner had I realized that than the other Bludger came at me from the back. One of our beaters smashed it away from me.

I continued to watch Harry. Wood was doing a bad job of managing the goalposts on his side, which made sense, and so I heard Lee Jordan, the commentator, yell "Slytherin lead, sixty to zero!" I should have been happy, but Harry's Bludger had been hit toward other players no less than three times by now, and it always whizzed back to him. I noticed him trying to signal a timeout, and despite being on different teams, I helped him. Madam Hooch blew her whistle, so she must've noticed one of us. I flew down to my team. Our chasers pounded fists at how well they were doing, but I was angry.

"How can you just _sit by_ and _laugh_? That Bludger is attacking a student!"

"Who cares, Renee?" Malfoy guffawed. " _You_ haven't even been tested yet!"

I childishly stuck my tongue out at him. He was about to retort, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and we were off. I felt bad for Harry, and I thought that the Bludger had probably been tampered with.

I didn't really want Harry to be hurt, although I guessed it was slightly inevitable. I thought he might have something when he hovered by Malfoy. I saw something golden by his ear and he was reaching out for the Snitch. He almost had it when….WHAM!

The Bludger had finally caught its target. But for some reason, Harry was still determined. He reached out for the Snitch and caught it. I heard cheers from the Gryffindor section of the bleachers and realized the game was over. I took off on my broom and flew down, just in time to see Harry faint.

Clara and Ginny were jogging over to see what had happened, and Hermione and Ron were at their heels. I groaned as I smelled the heavy cologne of my least favorite teacher.

Fred Weasley was trying to wrestle the Bludger into the box, but it still had one last target. It flew out of his hand and came pelting toward me. I tried to jump out of the way, but it changed direction again. It hit my forehead with force, and I blacked out.

* * *

I was lying on something flat and soft. I couldn't tell what it was. I tried to move my head, and it was okay.

"Renee Sanderson, thank the gods you're alive," a woman said. I realized I must've been in the hospital wing. "I thought you were gone for sure. A fracture to the head, _I'd_ like to know….

"Anyway, drink some of this, it should clear things up. You'll have to stay the night. Miss Bradley, she's awake! _Five minutes only!_ "

I looked up to see the sandy hair I despised in my own house, and because I was still a little groggy, I yelled, "You! What did you do to that Bludger, Malfoy!?"

"Renee, it's me. Clara. I'm here, Renee. Draco Malfoy is not here, I promise."

I leaned on my elbow. "I'm sorry, Clara. Why do you look so much like him?"

"We share a mother, remember?"

"Oh, right. The demigod stuff."

"Sshhh! Harry's here!"

I nodded sleepily.

"I'm going to go now. Get some sleep, Renee. You'll feel better when you wake up."

I nodded again, my eyes now closed. I barely heard Clara walk out.

* * *

I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up, but it was definitely not morning. My head hurt, and I wondered what had been in that drink that Madam Pomfrey had given me. A fracture to my skull, huh?

I looked around, trying to figure out what had woken me. I heard Harry and another squeaky voice.

"Dobby wants to save Harry Potter's life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here, sir. Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!"

"Oh is that all? I don't suppose you're going to tell me _why_ you wanted me sent home in pieces! And what about the Sanderson girl?"

"Ah, if Harry Potter only knew! If he knew what he means to us, the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world!" The squeaky voice was moaning. "Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his power, sir." He went on to talk about how bad it had been when Voldemort was around, and what Harry's triumph meant to the subservient creatures. I realized then that he was probably a house elf like the ones in the kitchens. I kind of tuned out until the house elf mentioned my name. "But Dobby will tell Harry Potter honestly that he had nothing to do with Renee Black's injury, sir. It was a Bludger, sir, and Bludgers are made to attack."

"But Fred was wrestling it back into the box."

"Dobby does not know sir. Dobby did not make the Bludger target Miss Black, only Harry Potter, sir."

"Hold on. Renee _Black_? I thought her surname was Sanderson." He looked over at my bed and saw that I was awake.

Dobby gasped. "Dobby has said too much, sir!" There was a loud crack, and the elf disappeared.

Harry and I stared at each other for a second before I said, "How did _he_ fix that Bludger when they were locked up?" at the same time Harry demanded, "Why did you lie to everyone about your name?"

"You first, _Sanderson_!"

"Harry, I honestly don't know! I don't. My last name _is_ Sanderson, at least as far as I know."

"As far as you know? What do you mean?"

"Well…." Okay, so I was the one who had done this to myself. I would either need to lie or come up with something.

"Er….I'm an orphan. That's what they put me down as in the orphanage."

"You hesitated."

"I don't know why he called me Renee Black, honest! And why is that a bad thing? I want to know just how powerful house elves are, Harry Potter!"

"Renee, shut up a sec. I mean it. Someone's coming," Harry hissed. I laid back down and pretended to be asleep.

Professor Dumbledore was backing into the doorway holding what looked like a statue. A second later, Professor McGonagall followed, holding its legs. They lifted the statue onto a spare bed. "Go fetch Madam Pomfrey, Minerva."

McGonagall walked out of the room. She came back a few minutes later, Madam Pomfrey in tow.

"Albus, what….?"

"Another attack, Poppy. Minerva found him on the stairs."

"There were a bunch of grapes next to him," said McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter or Sanderson."

I looked to see who the kid was. I gasped. It was Colin Creevey, the Gryffindor boy who I had noticed at the sorting. I also had potions with him, but we never really talked. It was always me and Ginny, Gill, Sandra, or occasionally Tomasz. Colin must've had friends, but I didn't remember who they were.

"Petrified?" Whispered Madam Pomfrey, even though I think she already knew. McGonagall answered in the affirmative.

She went on to talk about how worried she had been. "You don't suppose he managed to get a picture of his attacker?"

Silently, Dumbledore pulled the back off the camera. There was a loud hissing sound and an acrid smell. I gagged from four beds away. Harry was coughing too.

"Melted. All melted," moaned Madam Pomfrey.

"But what could this _mean_ , Albus?" McGonagall asked, her face ashen.

"It means," said Dumbledore slowly, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

"But Albus….surely…. _who_?"

"The question is not _who,_ Minerva. The question is _how_?"

I looked over at Harry, who gave me a silent shrug. McGonagall looked as confused as we were. They left the room, and Harry whispered, "Renee, I want you to tell me if you _ever_ hear those voices again. And I'll tell you. Okay?"

"Okay. And Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you're not the Heir. You _couldn't_ be, Harry."

"Thanks, Renee. Get some sleep."

"You too."

I felt warm inside, knowing that I had helped Harry. I was glad we had been together. I know _I_ wouldn't want to have gone through that alone.

* * *

 **A/N: So this is the next installment. I swear the next chapter will be primarily Clara, to make up for how much Renee had in these last few.**

 **I'm still not sure how to do things romantically. At first I had a strong idea for Renee, and I knew I didn't want Harry to end up with anyone but Ginny. Now, though, I'm not so sure.**

 **So yeah, the first Dobby scene for the demi-witches. And he accidentally revealed Renee's heritage. We'll see where it goes from there.**

 **As always, please review!**

 _ **Hufflepufferfish**_


	19. Harry and the Snake

**Clara POV**

I was waiting for Renee the next morning outside the hospital wing.

" _Why_ are you here?"

"Oh. Sandra. I didn't, um, see you there."

"Lay off her, Sandra. She's just here to see Renee. As we are!" Gill retorted

"Well, _I'm_ going in. _I_ want to see Colin."

"They won't let you, Sandra. You know that."

"Not if I can help it."

"What happened?" I asked.

"You didn't hear, loser?"

"Sandra, I said stop. Honestly, sometimes I think you hang out with Kaylee."

"Ew."

"Exactly. Clara, Colin was petrified like that cat. It happened late last night."

I let out a small "oh." Colin was a nice kid, and I hoped they could revive him.

A head of sleek brown hair appeared. "Renee! You're awake!"

She ran into my arms. "You didn't forget!"

"Obviously!" We laughed, thinking maybe that could become another catchphrase for us. "Why would I?"

"I thought you'd be with Kat and Rebecca or something. And when Harry left, his friends didn't come to see him."

I shrugged. "Renee, I'm a _Hufflepuff_ , and thank the gods for that. Being one means I can _never_ abandon my friends."

Renee looked behind me at Sandra and Gill. "And you guys came, too!"

They were still bickering about Colin, but Gill turned his head to her. "Actually, I did. _She_ wanted to see Colin."

"Well, there's nothing to see, really. It's just a body with a feeding tube."

"Ew, those are gross."

"Well, would you rather he die?"

"I guess not, but-"

"Good. Then that settles the matter." Ignoring Sandra, she put one arm around me and the other around Gill. "I don't need her," she whispered. I laughed because it was good to have the old Renee back. "Let's get lunch."

If I were an Aphrodite daughter, I would have been sure that something was happening between Gill and Renee. I knew Renee would deny it, though..

On the way to the Great Hall, we passed a crowded bulletin board. Kat and Rebecca called me over. "Hey, Clara, come look at this! It's really important, don't you think?"

I read the sign. "Dueling Club. First meeting tonight. I think we should go."

"What can we learn that we don't already know, though?"

"Shut up. You know nothing about dueling, remember?" I whispered. For someone so cautious, Renee was going to be the one who did us in, not me.

"Okay, fine. Let's go, then."

I nodded. "That's the ticket. Besides, wands are different too."

She agreed.

* * *

That night, we went down to the Great Hall. We were definitely not the only ones who had decided to come, and in fact it looked almost as full as at feasts. But there was a collective groan when we saw who the teacher was.

"Oh, not _him_! Please." Renee groaned.

"Lay off him, Ren-ren. He's gorgeous!"

"Sandra, we've had this conversation before!"

"I'm with Renee, honestly. He's a joke."

"Thanks, Gill."

"He's a nice enough fellow, to be honest. He's just ridiculous, though. And since when do you call her _Ren-ren_ , Sandra?" I added to the conversation.

"Oh, what are you talking about, Clara? You really ought to read _Gadding with Ghouls_ , it's SO informational."

"Kat, I've read it, it was on our supply list!"

Kat blushed. "Well, still."

"Oh, give it up," said Renee as the Slytherins sat down in their section, and Sandra, Kat, and Rebecca nodded to show that they would. Gods, I loved her charmspeak at times like that. We sat down a few feet away from them, along with some of the other Hufflepuffs.

"I do hope this will be good," Ernie said happily. "I mean, with all the stuff from his books, it almost _has_ to be, honestly.

I was going to retort, but Lockhart started talking at that moment. "Gather around, gather around! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me?"

I hadn't noticed Renee move toward me until she said, "I wish I couldn't," in my ear. I laughed.

"Now," he continued, "Professor Dumbledore granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you in case you ever have to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions-for full details, see my published works."

I heard a snort and saw Ginny's brother Ron laughing with Harry. Hermione was shushing them loudly. I imagined that they probably had to have the same arguments with her as we had with Kat and Sandra, and I giggled.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want you youngsters to worry; you'll still have your potions master back when I'm done with him."

"Wouldn't it be great if they finished each other off?" Ron whispered loudly. Renee cracked up.

"Shush, do you _want_ to get us kicked out?"

"Who invited you, Sandra?"

"Oh, so I have to be invited?"

"Yeah. You do. Because you get on my nerves."

I had to laugh at that. I was so happy that Renee was remembering how to stand up for herself. She wasn't going to let the Slytherins hurt her.

Lockhart was blathering on, and Snape was looking angry. I wondered why Lockhart was still smiling and gave a small giggle.

They showed us the accepted combative position-"Yeah, right," Renee muttered to me, and I snorted-and reminded us that neither one was aiming to kill. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," she whispered, looking at Snape.

"Renee, I love you, but could you shut up a sec?"

"Sorry. It's just funny."

"It is, _but_ ….stop, okay?"

Renee nodded. "Sorry."

To be honest, though, I would rather be stuck with her making jokes than here alone. I loved Renee so much, and I just hoped she knew that. I slipped my arm around her.

Snape blasted Lockhart's wand from his hand with a simple "Expelliarmus!" Lockhart was babbling on about how it was "completely obvious," that he was going to do that. Snape was giving him a murderous look, and Lockhart then decided it was time for _us_ to practice.

Lockhart was pairing up Angelina Johnson with Lee Jordan, but Snape reached us first. "Hmm, let's see. What about Sanderson with Miss Ballias." I moved closer to Kat and Rebecca, but the Slytherin head had other ideas. "No, I don't think so, Bradley. Let's put you with Miss Parkinson over there." He laughed evilly, pairing Kat and Rebecca with Ariana and Morgana. Nobody looked happy about this arrangement, but I was downright terrified. I didn't know that many spells yet, not having come from a wizarding family, and I thought Kaylee would likely clobber me.

She used her wand to tie her hair back, and I used a regular ponytail holder because I was definitely not that advanced. I wondered who had taught her that one.

"Now, listen up. I want you all to try the spell that we just learned. Point your wand at your opponent and say, ' _Expelliarmus_!' Remember, you are trying to _disarm only_!"

Kaylee was looking at me like death, and I was glad I hadn't gone to the underworld with Percy to see if it was really like that. Kaylee's glare was enough. _Now, Clarissa, what would Clarisse say? Annabeth? Percy? Jade?_ I heard Clarisse in my head. _Throw your wand away and use your arrows, idiot._ Annabeth was arguing with her in my head. _No, stupid! She_ has _to learn to defend herself in the wizard world!_ Then Percy. _Does it_ really _matter? Kaylee Parkinson is bad news!_

I laughed. My friends from camp were with me, even when they weren't, and I loved that. I hoped Renee didn't need them as much as I did. But she and Sandra were better than Kaylee and me as partners, so she'd be fine. I really needed to decide what to do. Lockhart blew his whistle. I couldn't even get half of the spell out before Kaylee yelled, " _Anteoculatia!"_ And antlers sprouted from my hair. I was starting to think that the in-my-head Clarisse was right after all. I started to call my arrows, which were up in my dorm, but something pulled me back. Annabeth was right too, and as much as I hated to say it, so was Lockhart. At least in that we weren't trying to kill. But I could hardly do anything with my head like this.

I saw an " _Engorgio_!" forming on Kaylee's lips, and I raised my wand to deflect it. "Expelliarmus!"

Her wand came flying toward me, and I heard Lockhart clapping. "Miss Bradley's got it!" Then he noticed my antlers and the spells exchanged between Harry and Malfoy. Not to mention whatever Ron's wand was doing to Seamus Finnigan.

"I said disarm _only_!"

With a lazy flick of his wand, Snape suspended all the action and made the random objects, hexes, and lights disappear. I took a deep breath, my head feeling much lighter.

"We need a demonstration pair, I think," said Lockhart cheerfully. "Or what about two, we can do Harry and Draco on this side and Kaylee and Clarissa on that side, so you can all see."

Harry and I issued a groan. "Professor, can we switch partners? I think Potter's a better match for me, and Parkinson and Malfoy are probably better together as well."

Lockhart was about to say something, but Snape cut him off. "No you may _not_ , Miss Bradley, and five points from Hufflepuff for your cheek!"

"But….but…." someone stammered. "Professor, she _just_ asked a question."

"Five points from Slytherin for _your_ talking out of line, Mister Bellis. The next person to speak out of line will have detention for a week!"

I needed to remember to thank Gill for that later. He was really a nice kid.

We had barely started when my _brother_ yelled, " _Serpensortia_!" and a snake came shooting from his wand. Harry and I screamed, while Malfoy and Kaylee laughed insanely. I aimed a kick at her, but Harry flashed me a warning look. I saw the snake slithering toward the Hufflepuff section. Some of my friends screamed, and in the next second, Harry had run to the snake and was telling him to slow down, to back off Justin. But I wasn't sure if he was speaking in English or some other language. Renee was nodding like she understood, but everyone else just looked confused.

Snape, who appeared to be having fun, noticed that he may have been the only one. He quickly made the snake disappear, but I saw a small smirk.

Justin looked angrily at Harry. "What do you think you're playing at, Potter?" He yelled. "And _you_ , Clara! You just stood by and….and let him attack?"

"Justin, no! Wait!"

But he and Ernie had run from the room, closely followed by the other Hufflepuffs. The Great Hall emptied out until there were only five people left: Renee, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and me.

The three second-years seemed not to notice us. They were discussing what had just happened.

"You're a parselmouth, Harry, why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a….what?"

"You can talk to snakes," Hermione explained.

"Well, yeah. I mean, that's only the second time I've done it. I set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. It told me it had never seen Brazil."

"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil? I mean, I guess that makes sense but….what in Hades?"

The three older students looked around. "Oh, I didn't realize you two were still here," said Harry sheepishly. "You're Clara Bradley, right? And of course, Renee _Black_."

"Stop. My last name's Sanderson. Dobby messed up, okay?"

"But I mean, why is this such a big deal? I bet loads of people here can do it," I said, trying to steer us back on topic.

"That's what I was going to say! I mean, _really_. What's up?"

"No, Harry, Clara, they can't. This is bad."

"Why? If he hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin, my house could've lost a valuable member because of _Malfoy_." I shuddered at the thought.

"Oh, is that what you were saying, Harry?" said Ron.

"Well yeah, I mean, you heard it. You were all there."

" _I_ did, Harry. So did Clara. _I_ know what you said. You said, 'stop, don't attack, stay back, leave him alone.'"

"Where did you learn to do voice impressions like that, Renee? I mean, yeah, I _did_ , but wow. That's impressive."

I looked at her quizzically. That definitely wasn't a special Aphrodite talent. She shrugged. "Practice, I guess. But yeah, Ron, what's so bad about him pulling the snake back? It shouldn't matter _how_ he did it; he saved a life!"

"Well, Harry, we heard you speaking Parseltongue, snake language," Ron said. Hermione nodded worriedly.

"Clara's right, what does it matter _how_ I did it?"

Hermione spoke up. "It matters because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol for Slytherin is a snake. I mean, it makes sense that Renee can, with her being a Slytherin and all, but you two….this is bad."

Ron nodded. "And now the school's going to think you're his great-great-great grandchildren or something."

"But I'm not!" exclaimed Harry. "I can't be!"

For us, though, that wasn't necessarily the case. I knew that it was time for the truth to come out, and that these were the type of people who could keep secrets. I looked at Renee, and she nodded, resigned to the fact that we would have to tell eventually.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, we need to tell you something. Have you ever heard of Greek mythology?"

* * *

The three of them had taken it relatively well. "We won't tell, I swear," Hermione had said. Harry and Ron had agreed.

When I got to the Hufflepuff doors, they were locked. Someone was standing guard.

"Clara, get out!"

The sentry was a boy I didn't know well, Zacharias Smith

"Don't bother. We know you're with that Slytherin scum, Renee Sanderson. I bet you thought it was a good laugh, huh?"

I lifted my wand. " _Do not_ ," I growled, " _insult Renee Sanderson in front of me_! I'll tell Cedric!"

"He's asleep. I suggest you go back to the snake pit, snake! And quickly, before you get caught down here!"

"Fine! But when you need help, don't expect me to come running to _your_ aid!"

"I don't need the help of a _Slytherpuff_ , Bradley. Slytherpuff!"

I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I turned on my heel and ran. I _would_ go to the Slytherin common room, and I would wait for Renee to come out in the morning. After all, I fit in better there anyway.

* * *

"Clara! Clara, get up! Have you been out here all night?"

I blinked, trying to remember where I was. "Oh. Hi, Gill," I said as it all came back to me.

"I'll go wake Renee. You look….bad." I nodded.

"Thanks. And thanks for standing up for me yesterday."

"No problem. Honest."

I waited as he reentered the portrait of Merlin. A few minutes later, he came back with Renee. She took one look at me and shook her head. "Clara! What happened?"

"They kicked me out for the night. It has to do with Justin, I think. They think I'm in cahoots with you and Harry for some evil plan."

"That's ridiculous! I thought _you_ were supposed to be the nice ones!"

I shook my head. I hadn't noticed Gill leave, but he came back with two rolls and two cups of hot chocolate. "Here. Take these. Clara, can you change in a bathroom? We need to get to Transfiguration." He checked his watch and gulped. "We need to be there in ten minutes!"

* * *

Renee and Gill were the only people to talk to me all morning. Rebecca and Kat were ignoring me, and Sandra even went as far as to laugh at me.

"Don't pay them any attention, Clara." Easier said than done, though, I thought.

We had just settled in when Tomasz turned Franklin into a badger. The whole class was laughing, and McGonagall was yelling at Tomasz to do the countercurse.

"Tomasz! Would you like it if someone turned _you_ into a snake? And where did you get to be so good at transfiguring things? That is not first year level!"

I knew that Franklin and Tomasz were cousins, so even though the house rivalry was apparent, the Hufflepuff wouldn't really mind. Tomasz did a bad job with the countercurse, and Franklin slapped him when he became human again. Everyone was still laughing, except for some of the Slytherins.

"I wish Tomasz had really hurt him," Kaylee whispered, loudly enough for me to hear.

Sandra elbowed her and they went back to laughing at me. I felt Renee's sad eyes on me and realized that it was the second time she was losing a friend to the enemy side. I hugged her. If once was enough for me, it was probably already too much for Renee's sensitive, loving soul.

She was crying in my arms, and McGonagall noticed. I suspected that Dumbledore or Sprout told her about us, and that was confirmed when she looked at me and whispered, "Miss Bradley, will you please take Miss Sanderson out into the hall?"

I nodded, glad for the chance to escape the snake pit and the taunts. Not to mention the smell of wet badger. Tomasz really was an idiot.

We walked right into someone. "Oh, sorry. Clara, Renee, you can't be here! You'll get blamed too!"

"Wha-ohh." My heart lept at the sight. It was Justin, and he had been petrified. But in front of him was-

"Is that a _ghost_?"

"It's Nick, our house ghost. If something can do that to a spirit…." Harry's voice fell as Peeves zoomed out of an empty classroom.

"Oh-oh, what are _we_ up to? Not in class, are we ditching-what is that?" He took a look at Nick and Justin.

"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAAACK!"

There were bangs as doors were flung open and spells were casted. Professor McGonagall and the rest of our class came running from one end of the corridor, while Ernie and the other second-year Hufflepuffs came from the library. I figured they and Harry must've had a free period, and it was probably Herbology, considering all that snow.

"Ha!" Ernie yelled triumphantly. "All three of them, caught in the act!"

"That will do, Macmillan!"

Peeves had made up a stupid song.

" _Oh Potter, you rotter and Bradley, Sanderson_

 _You're killing off students, you think it's good fun-"_

"That's _enough_ , Peeves!" McGonagall yelled. Everyone, back to your classes!" She scanned the scene and asked a couple of older boys to carry Justin to the hospital wing, which they wasted no time in doing.

Now, it was just the three of us with her and Ernie. She conjured a fan with her wand. "Macmillan, please waft Nick up to the hospital wing. You three, come with me."

We all launched into explanations and reasons why we didn't do it, why we _couldn't_ have done.

"This is out of my hands, Potter, Sanderson, Bradley. Come with me."

Harry grabbed Renee's hand and pulled her up from the defiant spot she had taken on the floor. "Come on, Renee. You can't stay here. Come on."

Renee wouldn't budge, and Harry looked at me helplessly. I walked over and grabbed her arm. "Come on. You're not in trouble, Renee, I promise. You won't be."

She nodded and took my hand. "There you go again with your ability to destroy my charmspeak, Clara. How _do_ you do that?"

I laughed and we followed McGonagall and Harry.

* * *

 **A/N: So, now Clara and/or Renee have been witnesses for two of the three incidents, and the Hufflepuffs are turned against her. Will they realize they were wrong? I mean, that's not a very Hufflepuff behavior, now, is it? Still not completely sure the final role Clara and Renee will have for canon COS, but I do hope you like how it's playing out. I'm thinking that like one of my favorite writers,** **chocolate-writing-perfection** **, I will probably end up making this a trilogy. First three years until Voldemort is back will be the first book. Not sure.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all have a good Christmas. Next up: Christmas and the Polyjuice Potion.**

 **Please review, as always. Thank you all.**

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	20. Christmas at Hogwarts

**Clara POV**

I knew immediately that McGonagall was taking us to Dumbledore's office. Renee was still dragging her feet, but Harry and I were walking, ready to defend ourselves.

"Lemon Drop," McGonagall said to the gargoyle knocker, rolling her eyes. It seemed like she didn't really approve of Muggle candy as a password, and I guess I could see her reasoning. "Wait here, you three."

We nodded. Harry walked over to a crumpled hat and put it on his head. It was the sorting hat, of course. Harry stayed with it for a moment before replacing it and saying, "Don't tell Ron or Hermione, but the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. I didn't want to be with Malfoy, and I thought all Slytherins were bad. I'd never met anyone like you, Renee. They're all like Draco in my year."

"Well, it's okay. I wouldn't want to be there either, considering it's where Voldemort and all the evils come from. And Kaylee."

"Renee, you _are_ a Slytherin!"

"I know, but I don't want to be."

"But what about Gill? He's nice, isn't he? And Sandra's sisters?"

"Well, okay. Fine. But Clara, what about Zacharias Smith? He's not nice."

"Okay, can we not bring that up?" Suddenly, I heard a strange gagging noise. Renee and Harry noticed it too.

"Oh _great_ , Dumbledore's bird just _has_ to die on us while we're here and in trouble. Great."

"Renee, shut up."

Harry laughed. "How did a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin get to be such good friends, anyway?"

"Long story."

The bird burst into flames. I screamed. Dumbledore walked in calmly, but looking somber.

"Professor, your bird-"

"-it just exploded-"

"-couldn't do anything-"

"-burst into flames."

Dumbledore chuckled at our stammering. "Fawkes, you see is a phoenix. He is reborn from the ashes every few months, when he expires."

"Oh!" I gasped. It wasn't that the "baby" was beautiful; it was quite ugly, but that we got to witness….life. Harry and Renee were staring at it too.

"Phoenixes," he continued, "can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets. But alas, you three are worried.

"You needn't be, though. No first or-"

"They didn't do it, Professor Dumbledore, sir! I was talking to Harry just minutes before! An' the girls were in class. They wouldn't've had time."

"Hagrid."

"Ask Professor McGonagall or any of the first years, they'll tell you!"

"Hagrid! I do not believe any of these three are the culprit."

"But-yeh don't? I'll wait outside, then.

Once Hagrid had walked out, Dumbledore resumed his calm manner. "You really don't believe it was us?" Renee asked

"No first or second year, no _student_ could have done this. But I still want to talk to you three. A Gryffindor, a Slytherin, and a Hufflepuff. How is it that the three of you _collectively_ take the blame?

"Is there anything any of you wish to tell me?"

"Sir, are you in touch with Chiron?"

"But of course. All the magical heads know each other, and with you two being here, I have to be."

"That is all, then. At least for me. Clara, Harry?"

We shook our heads. "Nothing, sir."

* * *

 **Renee POV**

Two weeks later, I was still wondering whether I should have mentioned the diary. It was the time when Clara used it that I really felt us breaking. She would leave it alone for a few days and then come back to it. I hated what it was doing to her.

McGonagall took the list of people who would be staying for Christmas. Luckily, it was on a day where Clara didn't use the diary, so she had her wits about her.

"Wren," she said, and I knew something was wrong. "I want to go home for Christmas." She waited for me to say something before continuing. "This is all so _new_ for the Bradleys. Only David really knows what my parents know, and I don't even know how much _that_ is. I mean, I want to spend time with them. Next year….next year, you can stay with us. But I _have_ to get away from the teasing, and I need to see my family."

"Okay. But….promise me you won't go out of your way to see anyone from camp."

She promised, and I hugged her tightly. "You're the best, Clara."

* * *

Not many people were staying. Most either had families to go to or were so afraid of the Heir of Slytherin that they just wanted to be away. Luckily, Harry, Hermione, and all of the Weasleys were staying.

"Come stay in the common room with us, Renee. All my roommates have left, and I _know_ you don't want to be alone with Ariana and Morgana. _And_ Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle," Ginny persuaded one day shortly before break. I happily agreed. I knew the only reason Kaylee wasn't staying was because of her parents, who didn't want to look suspicious during all of this. But most of the parents didn't care.

So I spent my time in the Gryffindor common room, reading magazines and playing exploding snap. I had ordered gifts for my friends as well. For Clara, a candy assortment. For Annabeth, a copy of the book on my school, _Hogwarts: A History_. Percy would be getting a rare photo of the giant squid in the lake, and I gave Clarisse a miniature working cannon. Jade got a copy of my herbology book, and Gill would be receiving a t-shirt. For Ginny, I bought some chocolate frogs. I wish I knew her better, but I didn't.

The Gryffindor common room had a much better vibe than Slytherin, but I decided to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas night in there anyway. It just felt right. I'd see my friends during the day.

The Christmas feast was wonderful. I sat with the Gryffindors, and nobody bothered to say anything, not even Draco. Ginny even gave me her spare house tie. I felt like a true Gryffindor. Everyone treated me with kindness and it was the best Christmas I'd had in a long time. I noticed that Draco was going to say something to me but every time, his tongue went slack. I also saw Fred and George laughing every time. I figured they were hexing him every time. A tongue tier or some sort, probably. I had a feeling Snape would give me detention for this, but at the moment, none of that really mattered. I was surrounded by friends who knew my true potential.

The feast ended and I headed back to Slytherin. I had decided to stay there for the evening, and then maybe sleep at Gryffindor.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I was really sad that Renee couldn't come with me, but I knew that I had to spend this first Christmas alone with the Bradleys. Christmas dinner was the hardest, because it was then that I decided to tell my family everything.

I sat between Dave and Ross. "Okay, so, tell me again, what do you know?"

"Well," Dave started, "we know that you're Apollo's daughter, and that you had a quest. No details. And now you're at….an elite boarding school for wizards? Did I get that right?"

"Well, yeah, except that Hogwarts isn't exactly _elite_."

"Hogwarts? What a joke! I mean, really? _Pigfarts!_ "

"Tony, do we _have_ to remind you you're not funny?" Ross yelled across the table, earning a fist bump from Dallas and a glare from Mom. "Anyway, Clara, go on."

"So yeah, I guess I'll start with the quest. Um, we had to go to England. We were lucky that there weren't many monsters-"

"Oh, so you _didn't_ die? What about Sanderson?"

"Antonius Theodore Bradley!"

"Sorry, Dad."

"So _anyway_ ," I said, glaring at Tony, "there weren't many monsters, but we were on a ship that kind of….trapped us. We had to fight our way out. Then we had to fight a giant once we reached England. We had help with that; giants need gods _and_ demigods to defeat them."

"Which god helped you?"

"My father. And….my mother."

"Who is she? I mean, I know you asked Mom about her, and she didn't know."

"Narcissa Malfoy, and thank you for asking, Dave. That brings me almost to the second part of our story.

"Anyway, so when we got back to camp, I found out that we were being attacked by Luke Castellan, one of our own campers. He's working for Kronos, the titan. I don't know what their plan is.

"He attacked my friend Percy Jackson with a scorpion. We went to tell Chiron, but when we got there, he had other news for Renee and me. He gave us our letters and told us we were going to Hogwarts. We went shopping that same day and I met some of my school friends.

"Well, Hogwarts is great. I wish I could do demonstrations of magic for you, but I can't because I'm underage. But there are problems there, too. There is a supposed 'Heir of Slytherin' who has a monster that has already attacked two students and a cat. But don't worry, only those who come from Muggle-nonmagical-families are unsafe. My mother was a Slytherin, so I'm safe. I'm a Hufflepuff, though."

"Whoah, slow down! I mean, I don't really know what half of the stuff you just said _is_! What are Hufflepuff and Slytherin? And what letters? And what's Narcissa Malfoy like? Are your parents still together?"

My brothers were staring at me intently, and my parents were looking at me with raised eyebrows.

"Clarissa Jeanne Bradley!" Dad slammed his hand on the table, "you can't go back to that school. It's just ridiculous, we're sending you to not one but _two_ places where you could get yourself _killed_! What do Renee's parents have to say about this?"

"John, let the girl talk. Her brothers have questions, you know. I do agree that we need to think about this, but Clara has some important things to say. I think we need to hear her out, you know."

My father nodded solemnly. "Continue, Clara."

"Thank you. Yes, it is dangerous, but there's no way I'm not going back. I have to return. One of my friends is Muggle-born, she could be next. So, as for your questions, Hufflepuff and Slytherin are Hogwarts houses. There are four of them, each with different qualities that they are praised for."

"And let me guess, your house is praised for idiocy?"

"Tony!" All my brothers were glaring at him now. It took everything I had to continue. My brother was the world's biggest idiot.

I smiled sweetly. "Well, actually, _Antonius_ , some would say that. But the ones who _know_ ….well, they think we're the kindest. I bet you'd be a Slytherin, though. They're cunning and will do anything to get their way. Many of them are mean assholes, but Renee's a Slytherin. She _hates_ it there."

"Don't call me Antonius! And what are the other houses?"

"Wow, you actually asked me a question without an insult. Maybe you _wouldn't_ be a Slytherin, Tony."

My other brothers laughed and urged me to continue. My parents gave each other a look that plainly said, _I give up_.

"So anyway," I said once the laughter had died down, "the other houses are Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. I have friends in Gryffindor, which is praised for bravery. And Ravenclaw is knowledge.

"The letters told us we were accepted into Hogwarts. You go shopping at Diagon Alley, which is kind of like a wizard mall, for supplies. So that's what we did. As for my parents, Narcissa is….well, I didn't really get to know her as much. She seems nice, but her son-my half brother-ugh! He hates Muggles and Muggle-borns with a passion. We think _he_ might be the Heir of Slytherin, to be completely honest."

"Eww, so you have to be related to two slimeballs, then!"

"Steve! You cannot say that about Tony!"

"Sorry, Mom."

"So yeah, my parents are not together, but I think they still love each other. Or at least, my dad loves my mom."

"And how does Renee get worked into all of this? I mean, you've mentioned her a million times, and, I mean, what do her parents have to say?"

That's when I broke down. I was crying as I told them the truth about Renee's nonexistent family, how Aphrodite had given her up to an orphanage, and how her father was probably dead. I hoped she was doing well at Hogwarts.

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

After the amazing feast, I went back to the common room and noticed that Draco Malfoy was, surprisingly, alone.

"Where are your bodyguards and your princesses?"

"Crabbe and Goyle are _not_ my bodyguards! I'm fine on my own, Sanderson! But, they've probably forgotten the way to the common room or something. Maybe pigging out? I don't know, but it's about time to go drag them up here, don't you think?"

"You think I actually care?"

"You asked, Sanderson."

"If they're not your bodyguards, why don't you call them by their first names? Even _I_ know that their names are Vincent and Gregory."

"I'll go get them if you care so much." He swung the portrait hole open with a bang and rushed out. I knew I only had a minute to myself, but I enjoyed it all the same.

He said the password, something I wanted to refuse to say, and clambered in with Crabbe and Goyle. But awkwardly, Goyle was wearing glasses.

"You wear glasses?" I blurted out without thinking.

"Yeah, why _are_ you wearing those?" Malfoy echoed.

"Er….reading."

"I didn't know you _could_ read," Malfoy scoffed. I stifled a giggle. "Hey, Sanderson, get out. I'm with my friends."

"You can't make me. It's _my_ common room too!"

"Oh, whatever, stay here then." I could have sworn I saw Crabbe wink at me. But that was too weird to think about.

"Here, you two, this will give you a laugh. Take a look." I leaned over to see it too. "Oy, Sanderson! Get away, this isn't for your eyes, _blood traitor_!"

Crabbe looked at the paper first and then scowled, handing it uncomfortably over to Goyle, who clenched his fist.

"Well, don't you think it's funny?" Crabbe and Goyle quickly forced their faces into grins. What could be funny to Malfoy that wasn't funny to them?

"Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much, he should snap his wand in half and join them. I mean, you'd never know the Weasleys were purebloods, the way they behave."

Crabbe's face twisted and Goyle nudged him in the ribs. Then, he laughed halfheartedly.

"What is it with you two?"

"Stomachache," said Crabbe a little too quickly.

"Well, go up to the hospital wing and give those Mudbloods a good kick from me. You know, I'm surprised the _Daily Prophet_ hasn't reported all these attacks yet. I suppose Dumbledore's trying to keep it all hushed up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon." He paused. "Father always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing to happen to this school. A decent headmaster would've never let slime like that Creevey in."

Malfoy pretended to take pictures with an imaginary camera. "'Potter, can I have your autograph? Can I have your photo? Can I lick your shoes, Potter?'" For some reason, Crabbe and Goyle didn't look too happy about what Malfoy was saying. "What's up, you two?"

Slowly, they laughed, and Malfoy continued slowly, "Saint Potter, the Mudbloods' friend. He's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn't go round with that jumped-up Granger Mudblood. And people think _he's_ Slytherin's heir! I just wish I knew who it was. I could _help_ them!"

Crabbe gasped, and Goyle said, "Well, you must have _some_ idea who's behind it all?"

"You know I don't, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you? And Father won't tell me _anything_ about the last time the chamber was opened, either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, but he knows all about it, it was kept hush-hush last time. It would look suspicious if I knew too much. But I _do_ know one thing. Last time the chamber was opened, a Mudblood died! So, I bet it's a matter of time before one of them gets killed. I do hope it's Granger."

Crabbe and Goyle were being very unlike themselves. Goyle was even asking intelligent questions. "The person who did it last time….were they caught?"

"Of course. They were expelled. Probably still in Azkaban."

"Azkaban?"

" _The wizard prison_! Honestly, Goyle, if you were any slower you'd be going backwards! Father says to keep my head down and let the heir get on with it."

He explained more about what his _father_ said and how they raided their mansion. I had stopped listening, it was all boring politics anyway, until-

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Medicine for my stomach," Crabbe yelled. But to me, he no longer looked like Crabbe.

I looked Malfoy in the eye. "Good night, Malfoy," I said before storming out.

I saw Harry and Ron running down the halls. They stopped at the bathroom near where the cat had been found, nearly two months ago. "It was _you_!" I breathed.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you liked this long-awaited chapter. I meant to publish it on Christmas, but then I got busy packing for camp, so then I meant to finish it on New Years, but I'm not feeling too well-so yeah, it's here now.**

 **I had to use the glasses line, it was just so funny, even though it wasn't book canon.**

 **Anyway, please review.**

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	21. The Diary in the Wrong Hands

**Renee POV**

"Sanderson, leave us alone."

"Ron!"

"Well, she's a nosy sneak, Harry. She _is_."

"What did you do?" I asked in awe.

"Nothing, I swear! I mean, we just…."

"And where's Hermione? And….why did you impersonate them?"

"We thought he was the Heir, and Hermione wanted the three of us to stop getting the tormenting."

"I knew this couldn't have been _your_ idea, then!"

"Meaning what?" Asked Ron hotly.

"Oh, come on. Sorry to say it, but Hermione does all the thinking for you. I mean, really, Ron. So where is she?"

Ron was about to retort, but Harry cut him off. "She's in there. For some reason, she didn't want to come. It's called Polyjuice Potion, by the way, because I knew you would ask. If you have a piece of the other person, you can turn into them."

"So then….where are the real Crabbe and Goyle?"

"A closet. Are you with us, Renee? We need to check on Hermione."

"Yeah, whatever. If you want me to come." I sighed.

Ron pushed open the door to the bathroom. "Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you!"

"I think I'll just….stay here."

"What's the matter? You must be back to normal by now, we are."

"Go away!"

Someone came out behind a stall. "Oh, it's _dreadful_ ," she cackled, and I realized where we were.

"Harry, why did you do this in _Myrtle's bathroom_?" I whispered.

"I'll explain later. Hermione, please, it can't be _that_ bad." But he looked worried and I knew that if there was something that had Myrtle looking _that_ happy, it couldn't be good. There was only one thing for Hermione.

"Hermione, please. Please," I said, laying the charmspeak heavily.

"Renee, is that you?"

"It's me, Hermione. Please come out."

"O-okay." She stepped out of the stall, paws over her face. Wait, paws? That couldn't be right. I heard Harry and Ron's gasps along with Myrtle's giggles.

"Hermione, what happened?" I coaxed.

"It was...was cat hair! Millicent must have a cat! The potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"

"Harry and I can take you up to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions. Ron, go free Crabbe and Goyle from….wherever you guys are hiding them."

"Why me?"

"Just go, okay?" I pleaded.

"Fine." Ron stormed out. I put an arm around Hermione.

"It'll be okay, girl. Come on."

* * *

 **Clara POV**

The rest of the holidays had been awkward, to say the least, and I was happy to share a compartment with Kat, Rebecca, and Ginny's friend Rachel on the way back to Hogwarts with the knowledge that Renee was always welcome at the Bradley's for the holidays in the future. Since we were away from the other Hufflepuffs, Kat and Rebecca had admitted that they never actually believed I was the Heir.

"You'd better be standing up for her as well, you know," Rachel admonished. She was turning out to be someone I thought I'd like very much, although I hadn't paid much attention to her before.

The other Hufflepuffs were accepting, too. We even had a visit from some of the second years, Ernie in the lead, saying they were sorry they had behaved that way. Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones stayed to chat with us about their breaks, and Gill and Sandra popped in a little later to ask if I had heard from Renee. I told them I hadn't.

The train arrived at the school right on time for dinner, and I realized it was going to be a good start to the new year.

Later that night, Renee told me about everything that had happened, and we went to visit Hermione in the hospital wing. It was good to be back.

* * *

It had been a couple of weeks and things were going back to normal with Hufflepuff. There had been no attacks since I was back, something everyone was grateful for.

There were no disturbances of any kind until February. Lockhart, being his usual stupid self, decided we needed a "morale booster," and we found out what that was on February fourteenth. Renee walked into the breakfast and immediately cursed Aphrodite. I followed her and saw why.

"My happy, card-carrying cupids!" Lockhart was saying, and Renee muttered to me, "never mind, have Mom curse _him_!" I laughed. "They will be delivering your Valentine's throughout the day."

Ginny came up to me. "You should write one for…. _you know_."

"Only if you write one for _him_."

We giggled and Renee walked away.

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

Ginny and Clara were acting like idiots for Valentine's day, but I knew something they didn't. I had stolen the diary when I last went to the Hufflepuff common room, and I had chucked it away in the bathroom. Hopefully my friends would forget about it in the way they planned to embarrass themselves today. I knew Ginny was going to do something really cheesy for Harry, and I wondered who Clara's "you know," was. Probably Cedric, all the Hufflepuffs loved him.

"It's so great of him to do this," Sandra was squealing in my ear. "I mean, this is a great way for me to tell Tomasz!" I still didn't get her hot-and-coldness. She seemed to want to be my friend now. "And _you_ should deliver something to _Gill_!"

"Oh no. You can't pull me into this. No way, Sandra. Besides, I don't even _like_ him that way."

"Suit yourself, Sanderson." She skipped away, her blonde curls bouncing in the sunlight of the Great Hall ceiling.

* * *

It seemed as if the only other first year girl who thoroughly didn't care was Luna Lovegood. I was glad we had Herbology that morning.

"People are making such a big deal about this, Renee Sanderson. I mean, I just want to curl up and hide." I nodded absently. Sandra had decided to cozy up to Tomasz, leaving Gill to work at our table so as to shield himself from the disgust and embarrassment of being associated with _her_. I would've, too, to be honest.

I found that the three of us worked well together. We were able to pay attention better and have a laugh about Lockhart's stupid "morale booster."

Professor Sprout caught up with me after break. "Have you talked to anyone from camp lately?"

"No, why?"

"Well, Dumbledore's heard that things are getting bad with Kronos. I have no doubt that Chiron will tell you this yourselves when you return for the summer, but I just want you to know that the ministry cannot track underage magic beyond the Atlantic Ocean. I mean, if things ever do get….dire."

"Why are you telling me this now? It's only February."

"I want you to be prepared, Renee. This summer will be a test, you know."

"Thanks, I think." I ran to catch up with my classmates.

* * *

At morning break, I saw the first effects of the horrible cupids. Ginny had really outdone herself with her stupid note to Harry, which happened to be a singing card. The dwarf had to tackle him to the ground to get him to read his letter. Even Ron was laughing at the display.

Harry's books had spilled all over the floor and there was a giant crowd around him by the time the card was delivered. I grimaced when I heard the words.

" _His eyes are as green as a fresh-pickled toad_

 _His hair is as dark as a blackboard_

 _I wish he were mine, he's really divine_

 _The hero who conquered the Dark Lord!"_

By this time, Ron couldn't control himself. Ginny and Clara walked by, Ginny blushing furiously.

Percy Weasley was doing a bad job of controlling the crowd. "Get to class, all of you, the bell rang five minutes ago," he was yelling. Nobody cared.

I heard laughing I did _not_ want to hear and a drawling voice said, "What's this? I wonder what Potter's written in here."

I looked up to see Draco Malfoy holding…. _the diary!_ My heart sank. How had _Harry_ gotten his hands on it? I tried to remember where I had left it, but by that point, Ginny and Clara had seen it too. For a brief moment, we exchanged a glance, but they were hurried off in the rush, and I figured I should get going too.

It wasn't until later that I remembered where I had left the diary. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was a stupid place, that's where I had been with Harry and Ron just days before! I smacked myself. And now Clara and Ginny would know too!

* * *

 **Clara POV:**

I saw the scene. I hadn't realized what Ginny had been planning, but I was glad my card wasn't as horrible. The problem was, it _was_ a scene, which was not the way Ginny wanted it. She was in tears as we tried to walk by inconspicuously. Renee was watching it too, but she just looked confused.

Suddenly, Draco Malfoy had picked something up and was yelling about it. I had to look, and then I turned away. Ginny had seen it too, and she was angry.

"Clara," she whispered urgently. "He has my diary!"

I tried to think how he could've gotten it, and then I remembered: it had been _my_ night with it, and I had lost it….or had I? I had put it in our hiding spot in the private room and went to bed. Renee had come in the next day and….

 _Renee!_ What did she do, and for the gods' sake _why?_

* * *

By lunchtime, Ginny wasn't talking to me. She had seen Harry with the diary and was worried Tom Riddle would tell him everything she's written. She also blamed me because I was the last to have it. In turn, I wasn't talking to Renee. We ate, lonely, at our own house tables, without each other for company.

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

It was a week from Valentine's Day, and Clara and Ginny had completely stopped talking to me. Everyone had noticed the rift, even Kaylee.

"What are you doing here, Sanderson? Why aren't you with your girlfriends? Oh yeah! Because they _ditched_ you!"

I just rolled my eyes and went to my dormitory, every time. I wanted to blame Malfoy, but for once it wasn't his fault. Harry and Ron couldn't have any blame, but they _were_ the ones who had found it. So I guess I had to blame myself for leaving it in such an obvious place.

I started skipping classes and sleeping later. I had lost all of my friends in just one week, and I should have just let it go! I mean, that diary _couldn't_ have made things worse than this, right?

As I was contemplating this, someone was banging on my door. "Renee, get up! Charms in ten minutes!"

"I don't want to, go away!"

"Renee, Snape will put you in detention if you're late again!"

"I don't care. He can expel me for all I care!"

"You don't mean that!"

"I do too, GO AWAY!"

"Renee Sanderson, I'm sorry I've been a jerk to you!"

"You don't matter. Nobody does."

"Alohomora! Renee, stop doing this to yourself! _What happened?_ "

I finally realized what was happening. It wasn't Clara coming to relieve me of my misery. It wasn't my mother, even. Of all people, it was Sandra Ballias.

"You're so mean, go away!"

"I brought you a scone, Renee."

I hadn't eaten properly in three days. I looked hungrily at Sandra's hand and rolled over in my bed. I would _not_ give in. She waved it under my nose, and I groaned. It just _had to be_ strawberry and chocolate drizzle, my absolute favorite.

"Renee, I _am_ your friend."

"You never were when I was the supposed _heir_."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're _not!_ No one is!" I grabbed the scone angrily.

"Renee, tell me what's going on."

Her tone was so calm, but I wouldn't, I _couldn't_ give in.

"What happened?"

I couldn't resist any longer. "I made a bad mistake." It wasn't like I could actually _tell_ her about the diary.

"Renee, what did you do?"

"I….I hurt Clara. And Ginny." I was getting weaker by the minute.

"What happened, Renee? I'm here for you."

I closed my eyes tightly. I was losing hold on thought.

"Renee, what happened?"

That's when I blacked out. The last thing I heard was Sandra's petrified scream bouncing off the wall.

* * *

 **A/N: So I have no idea what I was actually doing with this chapter, other than writing freestyle. That said, I know it's both short and messed up. I guess I just wanted to get out Renee's stress levels. Again, I** _ **know**_ **it makes no sense.**

 **Also, if any of you are really worried, Renee will be fine in the next chapter. That's all I'm saying.**

 **I'm thinking of making a Facebook page for this story, for the characters. If you have Facebook, it will be called** _ **Hufflepufferfish Fanfiction**_ **and I would be very grateful if you could follow. I feel like it would be a way for me to become more public and I don't really like how few reviews I'm getting. So anyway, please follow that if you're on Facebook. I could probably expand to other social medias for that later as well, maybe Tumblr and/or Pinterest. Let me know.**

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	22. The Triple Attack

**Clara POV:**

I waited outside the hospital wing for days. Kat and Rebecca forced me to eat and to go to classes, but I couldn't even sleep in the Hufflepuff dormitory. I was, after all, the cause of Renee's stress attack.

Ginny hadn't spoken to me, and I wondered for a fleeting moment whether Renee had been right to suspect the diary. I noticed that Ginny had it back, which was good, I guess.

It was a bright March morning when Renee finally came to. "Miss Bradley, you may come in. Five minutes only, though, for everyone's sake, okay?"

I nodded. "Renee!"

"Clara?"

"Oh, Renee. It's all my fault!"

"It's not."

"It is, though!"

"Clara?" She looked into my eyes. "Clara, it's you!"

"Of course it's me." I heard a loud noise and remembered the day.

"Oh gods, it's the Hufflepuff-Gryffindor Quidditch game today!"

"The….I've been out for _that_ long?"

I nodded grimly. "Madam Pomfrey _has_ to let you go!"

* * *

It took a lot of convincing, but finally, Madam Pomfrey agreed. "But _come straight back_ , Sanderson!"

As we were leaving the hospital wing, I heard it. " _Riiiip….tear….kiiiillll…._ "

Renee reached out for my hand, but I was running. "Renee, I've just realized something! Go change, I'll meet you here in ten!"

"But what-" I left her for the library mid-sentence, sprinting up the stairs. I wasn't looking where I was going, and I ran right into-

"Hermione!"

"Clara! What are you doing here? The game's about to start!"

"I figured something out. Hermione, I think it's some type of-SNAKE!" I froze.

"Get behind this mirror, _now_!"

She grabbed me and another girl who happened to be walking by. "Don't move!" It was barely a whisper, but I stayed still.

" _Rip….kill….I smell BLOOD_!"

Then, I blacked out.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

I was waiting for Clara when I heard a footsteps. "Clara?"

"Sanderson, what are you _doing_ here?" It was Professor McGonagall.

"I was waiting for Clarissa Bradley. She said to meet here. She should have been here five minutes ago, actually."

"Wait here." McGonagall's face was white. I slumped against the wall.

A minute later, she was back, Harry and Ron in tow. "Sanderson, come along." Ron and Harry looked as confused as I felt. I rose to follow them.

"This will come as a bit of a shock to you all," she said softly, opening the door to the infirmary. "There has been another attack….a _triple_ attack."

I scanned the room, my eyes resting on three girls. One, I recognized as a Ravenclaw prefect. The other two were Hermione and Clara. I choked back a sob.

"I don't suppose any of you can explain _this_?" She held a small, circular mirror. "Either Granger or Bradley was holding it when they were found."

We shook our heads. "I will escort you back to Gryffindor tower, then. I need to address the students, in any case."

We silently walked out, nobody in the mood to remind McGonagall that I wasn't supposed to be in Gryffindor tower.

* * *

"All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave after this time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom without being accompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no evening activities."

McGonagall rolled up her scroll with that information. "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."

She exited the portrait hole awkwardly, forgetting I was there. Harry and Ron stepped protectively around me, and I knew they trusted me and didn't want anything to look suspicious. I was grateful.

"That's two Gryffindors down, not to mention a Gryffindor ghost, two Hufflepuffs, and one Ravenclaw!" Yelled a fourth-year boy whose name may have been Lee Jordan. "Haven't _any_ of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it _obvious_ this stuff's all coming from Slytherin? I mean, the _Heir_ of Slytherin, the _monster_ of Slytherin-why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?"

Everyone was laughing. I buried my face in my hands. It was lucky that McGonagall came back in then.

"Sanderson! You'll be the death of me, I _swear_!"

"Sanderson? Here?"

"But she's one of _them_."

The whispers followed my name. "Sorry, Professor," I mumbled.

"Why didn't any of you _say_ something?" She stared at Harry, Ron, and me.

"Sorry. I'll just….I'll just go."

I clambered out the portrait hole to taunts from other Gryffindors. I figured it was time for me to tell McGonagall about the diary, and I waited as she came out.

"Sanderson, that was wrong and you know it! Ten points from Slytherin!" I didn't bother arguing, but McGonagall was strangely calm. "Is there anything you wish to tell me?"

"Professor, Ginny has a diary. I think it might be controlling her, and I think it may have something to do with all….this."

"Thank you for bringing this to my concern, Sanderson. What do you know about it?"

"Whenever Clara used it, she would….change. It responded to them, Professor. I tried to get rid of it, but I wasn't careful, and it ended up with Harry. Then, well, I think Ginny might have it back, though. I don't know what it's doing to her. It changes them, makes them different. Distant."

"Thank you, Sanderson. I will investigate this." We had reached the Slytherin common room, and I knew I had to leave.

I realized something as I faced the portrait of Merlin. "Professor, they refer to the diary as someone named Tom."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "Thank you. Renee, go get some rest. It's been a traumatic time for you, as for all of us."

I nodded. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

She patted me on the shoulder. "Clara Bradley will be okay. And so will you. The potion is almost ready. Pomona and Severus are working harder than ever. I promise, you'll be okay."

I nodded and said the password, hoping for nothing more than a chance to collapse on my bed and let my sorrows overtake me, at least for a time.

* * *

Just a few hours after I fell asleep, Sandra was shaking me awake. "Renee?"

"Go away."

"Your friends are here. Potter and Weasley, from Gryffindor. They're asking for your help."

"They actually trusted you to relay the message to me?" I asked incredulously.

"No, they trusted Gill. But boys can't be in the girls;' dorms, so _he_ trusted me. And you should as well, Renee."

She offered me her hand and I took it. I thundered up the stairs from the underground dormitory and saw that, yes indeed, Harry and Ron were waiting for me.

"Are you with us?" Ron whispered. "Because if so, you're coming with us right now. We _have_ to talk to Hagrid."

I nodded and followed them to the doors, where they were wearing a strange cloak. "It should fit all three of us, Hermione's bigger than you and she still fits. It's an invisibility cloak."

I had no idea what Harry and Ron were doing, but I followed, glad that they had thought to include me in their plans.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah, this was a bit of a filler chapter. I'm hoping to finish Chamber of Secrets canon within the next two chapters and move into Sea of Monsters. I hope to have CoS mostly done by Monday when I return to school after my winter break.**

 **For those of you who use Facebook, I have created the page** _ **Hufflepufferfish Fanfiction**_ **for this story in order to get more followers. If you have Facebook, please give this page a like and maybe ask some of your friends to check it out. Thanks!**

 **As always, please review. Thanks!**


	23. Hagrid's Warning: Follow the Spiders

**A/N: So, as you can probably guess, the next few chapters will feature Renee. Much more Clara to come in** _ **Sea of Monsters**_ **canon, I promise that. I will find a way to fit her in more, but I wanted to petrify her for now. I promise she will be more than she's been, considering the story started about her anyway. So yeah, hope you enjoy!**

 _ **Hufflepufferfish**_

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

Harry told me everything he knew from the diary.

"But it _can't_ be Hagrid….can it? I mean, he's never hurt anything! Let alone killing!"

"That's what we thought as well. But, I mean, we have to check."

"Oh, alright. Where'd you get this cloak, Harry?"

"My dad left it to Dumbledore, for me. It's been useful."

I nodded. We reached Hagrid's, and Ron pounded on the door. Hagrid stepped out, holding a crossbow.

"Oh. What're you two-three? doing here?" He looked at me oddly, and I realized that midnight visits from Harry and Ron were probably actually quite commonplace. Of course I didn't fit in.

"Hagrid, what's that for?"

"Nothin'...nothin'...been expecting...never mind, come in."

"Are you okay, Hagrid?" Even _I_ knew that he wasn't generally like this.

"Yeah….yeah, never mind," he said, knocking over his tea kettle.

"Did you hear about Hermione and Clara?"

"Oh, I heard alright," he confirmed grimly.

Hagrid kept glancing nervously at the window as he continued to make tea. Harry put a finger to his lips. There was a loud knock, and Hagrid dropped the fruitcake he was holding. Harry threw the cloak over us and we shuffled toward the back of the house.

"Good evening, Hagrid."

"Professor Dumbledore, sir."

Dumbledore was followed by a short man with gray hair. I stifled a giggle at what he was wearing. But then again, I had seen Clara in worse clothes….that one time when we were eight, playing in the sprinkler with those horrid _swimsuits_ ….yeah. Those were the days.

"That's Dad's boss, Cornelius Fudge, the _minister of magic_!"

I elbowed Ron in the ribs. "Shhh!"

"Bad business, Hagrid," Fudge said heavily. "Very bad business. Had to come. Five attacks on Muggle-borns, the ministry's _got_ to act."

"I never," said Hagrid forcefully. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir."

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence in the matter."

"Albus, his record is against him. Ministry's got to be doing something, the school governors have been in touch-"

"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid will not change anything."

"Look at it this way, Albus. I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty as minister…."

"Take me? Take me where?"  
"For a short stretch only. Not a punishment, but as a precaution, really." Fudge wasn't looking at Hagrid as he spoke.

I gulped and all heads turned our direction. Harry elbowed me in the ribs. I was about to nudge him back when there was another knock, this one much harsher than Dumbledore's. A man stepped in and I gulped again. Ron looked sick. It was Lucius Malfoy.

"What are you doin' here? Get outta my house!"

"My dear man, please believe me. I have no pleasure in being in your….you call this a house?"

"Well, I have no doubt it's cozier than yours," I mouthed. Harry kicked me. Lucius looked up at us for a split second before shaking his head.

"I simply arrived at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."

"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" I marveled at Dumbledore's ability to stay calm.

" _Dreadful_ thing really….the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an order of suspension. You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Three more this afternoon, wasn't it, and only two of them Mudbloods-er Muggle-born."

I snarled. "Now see here, Malfoy," said Fudge. "You can't take Dumbledore! Last thing we want just now-no, no."

"The appointment-or suspension-of the headmaster is the decision of the governors. And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks-"

"And how many of 'em did you have to threaten and blackmail before they agreed?!" Hagrid yelled. "Take Dumbledore and there'll be an attack a day! The Muggle-borns won't stand a chance! There'll be killin' next, mark my words!"

"Dear, dear. You _do_ know that temper will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid."

"Calm yourself, Hagrid. If the governors wish for me to step aside then I surely shall."

"But-" stammered Fudge.

"NO!" Hagrid roared.

"However," the headmaster continued, his eyes looking in the direction of our corner, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none left here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given to those at Hogwarts who ask for it."

Lucius sneered. "Very _admirable_ sentiments, Albus. We will all miss your-er-highly _individual_ way of running things. I can only hope that your successor will be more capable at preventing the, ah, _killins_."

I glared at him, bending down and whispering something with my wand. Hagrid stood up and glanced at us to make sure we were listening. "If anyone wanted to, er, find out a few things, my advice would be to, er, follow the spiders. They could tell yeh some useful information."

Everyone stared. Fudge steered Hagrid to the door, and Dumbledore and Lucius followed. We heard the door slam and went to the window to know when we could come out. Fang howled loudly.

"That dirty son of a titan!" I cursed. Harry laughed.

"Is that what you say at camp Half-Blood?"

"I'm going to write to the governors and tell them to fight against him! To kick him off the board!"

"You will _not_ , Renee. We're not supposed to be here!"

"Oh. Right. I can't believe he just _left_! He didn't even _resist_!"

"I bet he has a plan. I hope Hagrid's okay."

"Yeah." I noticed some spiders heading toward the forest. "Should we follow them?"

Harry checked his watch. "No. We'll come get you like we did tonight when we plan to." He stepped up near Ron.

We heard swearing from outside and I noticed a hat sitting on the chair. "It must be Lucius's. Not that he'll come back for it."

"Why wouldn't he?"

"I cast a repelling charm on this house."

Ron high fived me. Harry laughed, and we threw the cloak over us to head back to the castle.

* * *

Harry, Ron, and I tried to visit Clara and Hermione the next day, but Madam Pomfrey said, "We're taking no chances. The attacker might come back to finish them off."

Summer was approaching, which meant my birthday was coming. I hoped the potion would be ready by that time. If I couldn't celebrate with Clara, it would be like not celebrating at all. I frequently asked Harry and Ron when we were going out, but all the spiders seemed to have disappeared.

With Dumbledore gone, everyone was worried. Any laughter that rang through the halls was unnatural and tense and was quickly silenced.

The hardest day was when I got the letter from David Bradley. Clara's family had been super worried, so distraught that her parents couldn't even bear to write me themselves and had to have their oldest son do it.

* * *

 _Dear Renee,_

 _She told us it was only going to happen to the Muggle-borns. So she didn't know. But you two can_ not _keep going to Hogwarts! Once your nurse treats my sister with the potion, we are bringing the two of you straight home! I understand that you have to go to Camp Half-Blood for survival, even though it gets dangerous. But returning to Hogwarts in the fall will be totally unsafe. I'm really sorry. Renee, you're a part of the family now. We can't just let you live in the orphanage, so I can adopt you in a few years if you wish, after I've done a couple years in college and am living on my own. We're really worried about you. Stay strong and keep us updated, please. This has to be hard on you as well._

 _Sending love,_

 _David and the Bradleys._

* * *

Well, the prospect of having David adopt me in a few years was promising. The fact that Clara's family cared about me so much was as well. But the idea that we couldn't return to Hogwarts in September was something of a shock. Clara would probably agree with me that we had to find a way to fight that. After all, it would mean leaving behind Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Sandra, Gill, and Hagrid, who were all beautiful people who I needed in my life. It would mean losing a defense as well. And I couldn't evade danger. There were still monsters to fight as a demigod; there was still the impending threat of Kronos. I wished I had someone to talk to about this, but with Clara gone I didn't. I could tell Harry and Ron, but they wouldn't understand.

The days went by slowly. I met with Harry and Ron every night after dinner, but it was hard to see them regularly because I was a Slytherin.

Meanwhile, Sandra and I had rekindled our friendship. It wasn't like I trusted her much, but there was comfort in having a friend who was in my dorm, a friend to fight against Kaylee with. Because although the heir of Slytherin had relented for the time, she hadn't, and she still tortured me at every chance she got. She seemed to believe I was dating Harry, Ron, and Gill all at once, which was her latest way of trying to pit me against my friends.

"Hey, cheater, how's your boyfriend? Oh, that's right, you don't know which one I'm talking about, do you?" "Sanderson, how's ginger? Or is it scarhead this week? Or maybe blackie?" "What does Miss Stupid Hufflepuff have to say about all this, huh? Oh that's right, she can't tell you, she's _petrified_!"

"Don't call her stupid! And _don't_ call Gill Bellis 'blackie!' That's racist, Parkinson!"

"Hey Renee!" I braced myself for an onslaught of insults before realizing it was Ron.

"Wha-oh hey."

"We're going to do it tonight. Meet us outside Slytherin."

"Okay. Thanks for telling me."

"And don't let that complete bitch Parkinson get you down. I swear, she's worse than her sister. I didn't think it was possible."

I laughed. "Thanks."

* * *

That night, Harry and Ron were waiting for me in the cloak. It felt good to have friends who waited for me. Ron looked white.

"What's up?" I asked as we made our way to Hagrid's house. We would be taking Fang with us in case that would help at all.

"I don't like spiders," he mumbled.

"You'd fit right in at camp, there's a whole cabin who hates them. The Athena cabin, my friend Annabeth…."

We reached Hagrid's house and opened the door. Fang came bounding out with a howl. I grabbed a treacle tart and fed it to him, hoping it would be sticky enough to clamp his jaws for the time being.

"Good thinking," Harry said.

We walked towards the forest. I lit my wand and Harry followed suit.

"I'd light mine, but it'd probably explode or something." Ron's wand had been funny ever since they broke it at the Whomping Willow when they flew the car. Also known as the good times, before the Heir. I sighed.

We had left the invisibility cloak at Hagrid's because we wouldn't need it and it would be easier to walk. We kept our voices down.

I nearly screamed when something touched my leg, but it was just Fang. I continued walking, my heart beating heavily.

"What do you reckon?" Harry asked.

"We've made it this far," Ron said, and I nodded.

Suddenly, Fang barked. We looked at each other in alarm. "What is it, boy?"

"Ron, Renee, I think there's something moving in those trees over there." Ron gulped and we froze. "Something big."

"Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no."

"Shut up, Ron. It'll hear you!"

"Hear _me,_ Renee? It's already heard Fang!" I hadn't put enough charmspeak in my voice, I guess.

"What do you think it's doing?" murmured Harry.

"Probably getting ready to pounce." Even in the dim wandlight, I could see Ron looked sick.

From the right, there was a sudden blaze of light. Fang yelped and tried to run, getting tangled up in thorns, which made him yelp louder. Ron laughed.

"Harry, it's our car!"

" _What?_ "

I chuckled too. "Come on, you two. Look, the forest's turned it wild."

It was the strangest thing. I'd never seen a car behave like an animal. Actually, the only time I'd ever even seen a car behave was in the movie _Cars_. It was hilarious and I only wished Clara was there to see it with me. Speaking of Clara….

"We should keep moving. Should we take the car?"

"No. You're right, though. Come on."

"I wondered where it had gone!" Exclaimed Ron, bewildered.

We turned to keep walking, but now there was a sense of being more open. It was nerve racking, and we had lost the trail. Ron saw it first and turned to us, his face livid with terror.

I didn't even have time to react. Something picked me up and carried me to the forest in a not-very-gentle way. The thing threw me down, and I heard three thuds and a yelp, confirming that Harry, Ron, and Fang had also been taken.

I looked around. It seemed we were in some kind of a home and everywhere we looked, there were-

"Spiders," Ron groaned.

They weren't just any spiders either. The biggest may have been the size of a small elephant. I stifled a scream.

I realized with horror that the spiders could talk. "Aragog!" they were calling. "Aragog!" It was Annabeth's worst nightmare. Talking spiders had never been the way I planned to die. I looked at Harry, who was nearest to me, and thought hard about my imperial silver sword, which was sitting locked in my dorm. I knew some demigods could summon their weapons just by thinking of them, and if I ever needed to do that, the time would be now.

A blind spider stepped out of the clearing. He was huge and ugly, probably the largest there. "What is it?" He asked, his pincers clicking.

"Men."

"Is it Hagrid?"

"Strangers."

"Kill them. I was sleeping."

I looked around nervously. "We're friends of Hagrid," I said, throwing in as much charmspeak as I had ever used. I heard something whiz through the air, and my sword landed in my backpack, thank the gods. The spiders hadn't noticed a thing, which was good.

"Hagrid has never sent men here before."

"He's in trouble," Harry said quickly. I noticed he looked pained; the fall had landed his leg in a painful position.

"They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a-a-something on the school. They've taken him to Azkaban." I helped Harry out, using all my charmspeak and feeling the comfort of my sword against my back. Not that I could do much against so many of them if it came to that.

Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all the spiders followed him. "But that was years ago! Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They thought _I_ was the monster."

"And you….you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked.

"I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle and feeding me scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend, and a good man. When I was discovered and framed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness?

"So you never attacked anyone?" A little easier on the charmspeak.

"Never. It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was found in a bathroom. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard I was raised in."

"But do you know what _was_ attacking the students? Because it's come back."

"We do not speak of it! We spiders fear it above all others. I never even told Hagrid the name of that dread creature, although he asked me many times."

The spiders were closing in on us. "We'll just go, then," I mumbled.

"Go, girl? I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into this clearing."

"But-but-," we stammered.

"Goodbye, friend-of-Hagrid's."

My sword was out in a flash and I was on my feet. Harry and Ron were trying spells and I was slashing randomly through the air. Fang was whimpering.

It was no use, and I was prepared to die fighting. No chance of getting adopted by David Bradley, no chance of ever seeing Clara again.

Suddenly, there was a roar and a blaze of light. I gaped as the car came trundling through the forest. Quickly, I grabbed Fang and hauled him up with more strength than I thought I had. Harry and Ron ran after me, and we clambered in. Ron yelled, "MOVE!" but the car didn't need him.

I had never been in a flying car before. I had to say I preferred a broom or even a pegasus. Within moments, we landed at Hagrid's house and the doors opened and threw us out. Then, the car sped off and I knew we would never see it again.

"I can't believe you two actually flew that thing here! That's crazy!"

Ron laughed nervously. "Well, at least now we know that Hagrid never set anything loose in the castle. He was innocent!"

"Innocent?" I asked in disbelief, Ron nodding vigorously. Harry ignored us.

* * *

It wasn't until later that night when I was lying awake in my bed in the Slytherin dorms that I realized something. I pulled out a drachma from my bag.

"O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept this offering." I held up a mirror to create a rainbow. "Harry and Ron, at Gryffindor tower!"

I looked in the boys' dormitory, where all the boys were sleeping. "Harry! Ron! Wake up!"

"Wha-? Who's there?" Then the impact of what they were seeing seemed to hit them.

"Renee Sanderson, what is your _head_ doing in our dorm?"

"I just realized something. Aragog said that girl died in a restroom. What if she never left?"

It took them a minute, but then Harry gasped. "Moaning Myrtle!" I nodded. "And what _is_ your head doing here?"

"Iris messaging. A demigod technique."

"Well okay then. We'll talk more about this tomorrow, okay?"

I nodded. "Good night, you two."

"Good night, Renee. You're a creep, you know."

I laughed.

* * *

 **Narcissa POV:**

I went to the payphone down the street in the dead of night. It was only the third time I had spoken to him since Clara's birth. I was scared, and there was no way I could talk to Lucius about this.

"Narcissa Malfoy, transfer me to Apollo on the 600th floor."

"There is no 600th floor."

"Do we have to go through this again? My demigod daughter is in danger!"

"600th floor it is. Just had to make sure."

I groaned. This was super annoying if I had to do this every time I wanted to talk to my daughter's father.

"Cissa!" Apollo exclaimed. "It's great to hear from you!"

"Apollo, our daughter has been petrified by Slytherin's monster. I don't know what to do. It's not like I can show any emotion to _Lucius_ , is it?"

"Petrified? What do you mean, Cissa?"

"She's lying stone cold in the hospital wing! Apollo, do something!"

"Cissa, I can't."

"You're the god of healing, Apollo. Just fly over to the school and heal her."

"But their nurse is already working on it."

"Don't you care about our daughter? Don't you care about her friends, don't you care about Renee Sanderson?"

"You've been absent for as long as I have, Narcissa. Why do you care now?"

"She's our daughter, Apollo. I care about her. Oh, I remember now. Gods. Don't. Care."

"I care, Cissa!"

"Well, you and the rest of you have a funny way of showing it! I'm done, Apollo! And _don't_ call me Cissa!" I hung up the phone angrily, tears forming in my eyes. She was my daughter, and I was worried.

I wouldn't go back to Lucius tonight. I would check into a corner motel and stay there. I couldn't bear to be with not one but two men who didn't appreciate or understand me.

The phone rang and I picked up. "What?"

"Cissa, I'm _sorry_! I didn't mean it _that_ way!"

"Then what did you mean?" My voice was ice cold.

"I just….let me tell you in a haiku." I groaned. Apollo's haiku were notoriously bad.

"I didn't mean to harm/Swear on the Styx she'll be fine/Apollo is great."

" _Apollo is great_? Why do you have to end them all like that?"

"Maybe a limerick?"

I rolled my eyes. "Apollo, no-" but he had already started.

"There once was my love Narcissa/I wish she could know that I miss her/And that I love our daughter/She couldn't be wronger/I love our daughter Clarissa."

Okay, fine. The sentiment touched me, but it couldn't have been true. "Really? That didn't even rhyme!" But I laughed all the same.

"Come visit me in New York?"

"What'll I tell Lucius?"

"Tell him nothing. Obliviate him in the morning." I laughed. That was a good enough plan.

"Okay." I turned on my heel and apparated to New York.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah this was a long chapter. Sorry I haven't posted a lot, school's been super busy. Don't expect a lot of new posts any time soon, please.**

 **Let us all raise our wands and take a moment of silence for Alan Rickman. Beloved actor and friend to the Harry Potter cast. RIP**

 **Anyway so yeah the spiders, Renee shocks Harry and Ron with Iris Messaging, and a bit more Narcissa/Apollo for those of you who wanted it. I'll try to add more of that occasionally, when I can and it fits.**

 **As always, please review. I'd like some constructive criticism too if you have any.**

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	24. Taken into the Chamber

**A/N: Hey, look who's back! It's me! Hi! Sorry for the long wait ugh school.**

* * *

 **Renee POV**

I met up with Harry and Ron before breakfast the next morning. "Renee, of course it was Myrtle. But you need to be the one to go and talk to her," Ron informed me.

"Me? Why?" I was startled. "I barely even know her!"

"Isn't it obvious? You're a _girl_! It's a _girl's_ bathroom. And you have-" Harry lowered his voice as some Ravenclaws passed us "-Charmspeak."

"Right. But when?"

"Whenever you can. Sneak away from a teacher, _I_ don't know."

I thought about it all morning until Potions, when something drove the Chamber of Secrets from my mind.

"Sanderson," Snape barked. "Tell me, what would I get if I added these ingredients together?"

I stared at him. I could barely even tell what he was holding. "I….I don't know, sir."

Gill and Sandra watched nervously. Kaylee giggled.

"This, Miss Sanderson, is why you _must pay attention_! Exams are one week from today!"

" _Exams_?!" Nolan Avery yelped.

"But-but…." Joel Ruddernot, Tomasz's Gryffindor cousin, said loudly.

"Silence! Why do you think we are keeping the school open, Mister Ruddernot and Mister Avery? It is solely for your _education_."

I stared ahead, shocked. How could we have exams considering _this_?!

Sandra seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Excuse me, Professor, but why be so hard on Renee? She's had a terrible week, you know, with her best friend being petrified and all!"

"Yeah," Gill piped up. "Lay off her!"

Then, to my surprise, a Gryffindor stood up. "L-lay-lay off her, Professor!" It took a lot of courage for the small redhead girl to say that, I could tell. But Ginny Weasley had forgotten her anger at me, if just for the moment. My heart soared.

The bell rang then, and it had never been more welcome.

* * *

Three days before exams, Professor McGonagall made a different announcement at breakfast.

"I have good news," she said as the hall quieted down.

There was a roar of cheers as people from all houses speculated what could be going on.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" Many people yelled.

"You've caught the heir!"

"Quidditch trials are back on!" Oliver Wood roared from the Gryffindor table. McGonagall coughed loudly to show she wanted to continue to speak.

"Professor Sprout has announced that the mandrakes are nearly ready. By tonight, we should have our students back!"

Sandra, Gill, Tomasz, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and I were among the loudest cheers. Harry beckoned me over and I happily left the Slytherin table.

"What's up?"

"We get Hermione and Clara back! And it won't matter that we never asked Myrtle!"

I hugged them. "You guys are the best."

Someone made to sit down across from us. "Hey, Ginny."

"Renee….Renee, I'm so, so _sorry_! I've been an idiot to you and-"

"Forget it, Ginny. I'm just glad you're safe." But the shy girl looked worried. "Harry….I need to tell you something. Harry…."

"I'll take that seat if you're finished, Ginny, I'm famished." Percy had appeared behind us. Ginny got up without a word.

"Hey! She was just about to tell us something!"

Percy went white. "Oh….um….that's nothing….nothing to do with the, ah, the Chamber or anything….it's just….well, she saw something and promised not to tell. I did expect her to keep her word. And what are you doing here, Slytherin?"

"My name's Sanderson, not Slytherin!"

Harry and Ron guffawed.

* * *

All morning, something had been bothering me, and it wasn't until we were headed to Defense Against the Dark Arts from Transfiguration that I realized what it was. Ron had said it didn't matter that we didn't ask Myrtle, but we still wouldn't have caught the culprit….Hagrid would still be rotting in a jail cell this time tomorrow. McGonagall dropped us off at the door with a worried glance after taking the Hufflepuffs to charms. She started walking back, but I remained at the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"We were just going to, um, visit Hermione and Clara. Tell them the potion is almost ready, you know? We wanted to grab Renee as well, because we know the stress is hard on her too."

I suspected I knew what Harry and Ron were really trying to do, but to my surprise, the Gryffindor head said with a much softer tone, "Oh. Alright. I realize it has been hardest on the friends of those who were….come on. I'll write a pass to get you three out of class."

Her footsteps were coming toward me and I was relieved. Harry really could be a quick thinker, and he was a great friend too.

"Would you like to go up and see Bradley and Granger with Potter and Weasley?" She had a soft smile on her face.

I nodded. "Of course. Thank you, professor."

"Of course. She is, after all, your best friend."

* * *

Madam Pomfrey scoffed when we got to the hospital wing. "Talking to a petrified person, honestly, I don't know what _good_ it will do."

We ignored her and walked up to Hermione and Clara's beds. Clara's glassy eyes stared up at me and her feeding tube poked out of the sheets covering her. A tear rolled down my cheek. Ron was rubbing Hermione's hand and moaning about how cold she was.

Suddenly, I noticed a piece of paper in Clara's hand. "Harry, Ron, come here a sec."

I pointed out the paper, and Harry and I tried to coax it from her hand. I noticed that her golden-blonde Apollo-Malfoy hair had grown too long, and remembered what David Bradley had said.

We finally tugged it out without ripping it. "Would you look at this," Harry mumbled.

"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, also known as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live for hundreds of years, is born from a chicken egg hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it," I whispered.

Underneath the paragraph, there was a single word in cramped, tiny handwriting I didn't recognize. "Pipes. Harry, oh my gods! We _have_ to tell McGonagall!"

"It makes total sense," said Ron, nodding.

"That's why Clara, you, and I were able to hear it! The creature in the chamber! It's a basilisk, it's a snake, and we could hear it because we were the only _Parselmouths_!"

"But, Harry," I brought up, "If it's eyes are fatal, how come nobody has _died_ yet?"

Harry, Ron, and I thought about that for a minute. "Well, let's see. Colin had his camera, for one, so he didn't directly see it. Justin….Justin must've seen it through Nick. Nick got the full blast of it, but he couldn't die _again_. And the girls….Hermione had the mirror, she and Clara must have pulled it in front of them and Penelope Clearwater when they sensed it coming!" Harry explained triumphantly.

"But….what about the cat?" Ron asked. "Surely she didn't have a mirror, or a camera. Why didn't _she_ die?"

"The water! Remember, Myrtle had flooded the bathroom that night! She saw it through the water! Come on, it's almost break, let's go to the staffroom, the bell should be ringing any moment!"

We ran up the stairs, luckily not running into Peeves on our way. "Alohomora," I mumbled, just in case.

"Now all we have to do is wait for the bell."

* * *

 **But the bell never came. "** ** _All students to return to their House dormitories at once! All teachers return to the staffroom! Immediately, please,_** **"** **McGonagall's voice boomed through the corridors.**

"What now? There can't have been another attack?" The worry I felt echoed on Ron and Harry's faces.

"Should we go back? You can come with us, of course, Renee," Ron asked.

"No." Harry motioned to an ugly closet that looked just big enough for the three of us. "Let's hide in there. We can hear what this is about, and then we can tell them what we know."

We watched the teachers file in. Some looked puzzled, others terrified. One thing was for sure, nobody was happy. Then, Professor McGonagall arrived, looking very grim.

"It has happened," she addressed the staff. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the chamber itself."

Professor Flitwick squeaked, and Professor Sprout gasped. Snape gripped the back of his chair. "How can we be sure?" he asked.

"The Heir of Slytherin has left another message. 'Their skeletons will lie in the chamber forever.'"

"Who is the student?" Professor Sprout asked.

"There are two. Ginerva Weasley, from Gryffindor-" at this, Ron winced-"and one stolen from our very hospital wing, Clarissa Bradley, of Hufflepuff."

I buried my face in my hands. McGonagall continued speaking. "We shall have to send the students home tomorrow. This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said…."

The staff door banged open, cutting her off mid-sentence. I looked up, expecting to see Dumbledore, but quietly cursed when I saw it was actually Lockhart.

"Sorry, dozed off. What have I missed?" He said brightly. The other teachers were glaring at him, and Snape looked ready to kill.

"Just the man. The very man."

"Severus?"

"Two girls have been taken into the chamber itself. Your moment has come at last."

"I-I don't know what you mean, sir."

"That's right, Gilderoy," added a teacher I didn't know. "Weren't you saying just yesterday that you knew where the entrance to the chamber was?"

"I-well-I…."

"Yes, weren't you saying you could easily say what was in it?" asked Flitwick.

"And didn't you say you'd really wished you'd figured out the whole thing before Hagrid was arrested?" Snape added.

"Did I? I mean-I must've-you must have misunderstood."

"We'll leave you to it, then, Gilderoy." McGonagall's smile turned to a grimace as he turned his back to prepare.

"Now that that's gotten _him_ away...the Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students are outside of their dormitories?"

They filed out, and when we were sure the coast was clear, Harry spoke. "Renee, I don't trust that you'll be safe in Slytherin. I have the invisibility cloak, I can walk us back, and then….can you stay under it?"

"Yeah, I guess. But they're just going to….let that….that man 'save' our sisters?"

"It's the only hope we have, isn't it?"

* * *

The common room was quieter than it had ever been before. Fred and George knew I was there, and so did Neville, but nobody else. The six of us sat around. Percy had gone to send a letter to his parents, and I had Iris-messaged Clara's parents as well. Both were likely to come tonight.

Finally, Neville, Fred, and George couldn't stand it and went to bed, and then it was just us.

"Harry, they had a diary. Tom Riddle's diary. I think they knew something, Harry. And Ginny was there that night, when Mrs. Norris was petrified. I mean, it's the only reason, Ginny's pureblood and Clara's half."

"They had _Tom Riddle's diary_?" Harry said sharply. "And you never _told_ us?"

"It wasn't relevant, was it? I mean-" I stopped talking with the expression on Harry's face. "Why? Who is Riddle?"

"We need to talk to Lockhart! Come on! The entrance is probably in _Myrtle's bathroom_!"

* * *

 **A/N: Well, so sorry for my extended absence. I have been really busy with school. I went to the Louder than a Bomb poetry competition, and if you know anything about slam poetry, it's a really big deal. We didn't win as a team, but one girl had an amazing poem, you can look her up, Deja Bluntson, Louder than a Bomb, and she went forward and could easily win the Indy (individual poets) competition. So that's taken a lot of my time and all of my writing capacity recently.**

 **Anyway, I was hoping to add more to the chapter but I figured this was going to use too much of my time, and I just wanted to get it done so sorry it was a bit of a filler.**

 **I have Spring Break in two weeks and I'll probably be able to get a chapter or two then, but don't expect anything before. I hope I still have my three loyal readers, and if I do, you all will get a shout-out in 25 (I think this is 24, I don't even know anymore, LOL)**

 **Anyway, please review and know that I am back!**

 _ **Huffflepufferfish**_


	25. The Chamber and the Secrets

**A/N: It's been a long time since I've been inspired to really write, but I am excited to get into Sea of Monsters! I have so many ideas. Maybe three more chapters in Chamber of Secrets….then back to Camp Half Blood, which might take a little time because I need to read the book again. I can promise much more Clara in that one, though, and I am sorry I had to leave her out so much here. Anyway, here's chapter 25.**

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

Nobody tried to stop Harry and Ron as they left. I was still invisible, of course, but all the other Gryffindors felt so sorry for them that they didn't care. After we exited, Harry and Ron slipped under the cloak with me, and Harry led the way to Lockhart's office.

"Is there any chance that they're still….?" Ron didn't need to finish his sentence. I was ready to burst into tears at the thought of my best friend being dead, never able to see her smiling face or feel her sunny optimism ever again. Ron looked the same way as I felt.

I threw a ton of charmspeak into my voice. "It's possible, Ron." I prayed to Apollo and Hades to let them live as long as they possibly could, but my best friend's father and the god of death could only do so much.

We arrived at the door, and Harry knocked. Ron and I helped pull off the cloak. There seemed to be a lot of commotion going on there. Lockhart pulled open the door. The office seemed to be stripped bare; there were no posters of Lockhart's goofy, smiling face to be seen. "Are you….leaving, Professor?" I asked in shock.

"Er….well, yes," Lockhart said, tearing down the last remaining poster. "Urgent call….got to go, I'm afraid."

Ron and I both yelled, "What about my sister?" at the same time.

"Awfully sorry….no one regrets more than I….and Sanderson, why do you care? You're a Slytherin, you should be supporting all this, it's your monster after all. And that Hufflepuff girl is most definitely not your sister."

"Okay, that does it! You're the defense against the dark arts teacher! You're running away, aren't you? _Aren't you_?"

"Well, I must say, there was nothing in the qualifications when I took the job…."

"But what about everything you did in your books?" Ron demanded. "You weren't scared when you defeated all those yetis and vampires and banshees, were you? Aren't those _your_ job qualifications in the first place?"

"Books can be misleading, Weasley."

"You wrote them!" I exclaimed. "Why are we here anyway, he's not going to help, let's just go get the girls!"  
"Sanderson, if you're trying to guilt me into helping you, I can't. I may have written the books, but that by no means implies that I defeated all those creatures."

"So you just….took the credit for what other people did?" Harry asked, bewildered."

"It was never that simple. I had to track them all down….make sure they forgot and never told anyone….my books wouldn't have sold nearly as well if people knew that the real man who got rid of the werewolves of Wyoming was an old warlock with hairy warts!

"As a matter of fact, I suppose I shall need to perform a memory charm on you three. I can't have you blabbing to all your little friends, now, can I? I'd never sell another book!"

Lockhart raised his wand, but Harry was quicker. "Expelliarmus!" Lockhart's wand flew through the open window.

"Well, it was foolish of me to let Severus teach you that one, wasn't it? But I'm no help. I don't even know where the chamber is, or what's inside it, or-"

"Shut up. Please. We think we know where the chamber is. _And_ how to get in." My charmspeak seemed to do the trick, and we walked quietly out the door, Harry leading the way to Myrtle's bathroom while Ron and I kept a tight hold on Lockhart, making sure he didn't flee.

* * *

"Back again, I see. One day you will get caught for being in a girl's washroom. But I do love the company." Myrtle gave a girlish giggle.

"Hey Myrtle," I said, ignoring her teasing. "We wanted to ask you how you died."

To my surprise, Myrtle broke into a wide grin. "Oooohh, it was _dreadful_! I was hiding in here, trying to escape from Olive Hornby's teasing. She had been really tormenting me that day. And then I heard a voice. It was a boy's voice, speaking in weird hissing tones, and I opened the door to tell him to get out, because, you know." She looked pointedly at Harry, Ron, and Lockhart. "And then I died."

"Did you see anything?"  
"I saw a great big pair of yellow eyes. And then I died. Right over by that sink. I haunted Olive Hornby for years after, but they finally put a restraining order on me when I crashed her wedding. I've been here ever since." She gave a gleeful cackle, but we were no longer listening. We had rushed over to the sink, and there was a tiny engraving of a snake. Harry tried first.

"Nope. English," Ron said.

"Renee, I can't do it! I can't imagine it's real!"

I nodded. For me, it was very real. My only best friend was dying, and I would have to face all kinds of problems with her family, camp, and most importantly myself and self-worth if I couldn't at least try.

I walked up to the snake carving and whispered "open," in the best Parseltongue I could. Harry grabbed me as the floor where I had been standing fell away and opened into a giant slide.

"Well, it doesn't look like you'll be needing me anymore," Lockhart mumbled. We all stared, sort of only just remembering he was there.

"You can go first." I gave him a shove.

"What good will it do?" he whined. I pushed him further, and he slid forward, down into the unknown. I heard what could have been a thud as he landed, and I jumped in after without even thinking.

"Renee!" Harry yelled, and I heard him clamber in after me. I shot out of the tunnel a moment later, Harry and Ron directly following.

"Okay," I said, wishing I had my weapon. It would be too dangerous, though, and too unlikely to work if I summoned it from this distance. We must have been miles under the school. No, under the _lake_. "We need to keep moving. We have to try, right?"

Harry and Ron quietly nodded. "If you hear anything, close your eyes immediately."

"Of course."

We walked for a few minutes before Lockhart screamed like one of my sisters who just found out her favorite makeup line was cancelled. And trust when Drew or anyone else does that, it's not pretty.

Directly above us there was a giant snake skin. Lockhart's knees gave way.

"Get up," said Ron sharply, pointing his wand at the professor. Lockhart did, and then tackled Ron. Harry tried to stop him, but when he straightened up, he had Ron's wand.

"Looks like the journey ends here," he said in mock sadness. "I'll just have to bring back some of this and tell them how you three _tragically_ lost your minds at the sight of their mangled bodies." He pointed Ron's wand directly at us. "Obliviate!"

The next moment, he had doubled over. He then looked at us in bewilderment. "Where are we?"

Harry, Ron, and I glanced at each other. "Ron, you stay here," Harry said. "There's a small opening in that rock, Ron's wand caused a bit of an explosion. Renee, let's go."

"Why do I have to stay here? It's _my_ sister."

"It's a giant _snake_ , Ronald." I rolled my eyes. "We have Parseltongue. And I have charmspeak."

"Okay, fine, you win. I'll babysit the git. And I'll try to move some of that rock, you'll need a bigger space to get back."

Harry pushed his way through the rock with me at his heels. Once we got through, there were two large snakes carved on the wall. Harry and I both said, "Open," at the same time. It worked for both of us, and the wall opened to make a doorway.

* * *

The sight that greeted us was by no means pretty. I rushed over to Clara. "Clara, this is all my fault! We were in the hospital wing just minutes before you were taken! I wish I had better disposed of that diary!" I sank to my knees, and Harry came over and put his arm around me.

I started sobbing and couldn't stop. "Clara! Ginny! Please don't be dead!" I gasped through tears.

I ran my fingers through Clara's hair and flipped her over. Harry did the same with Ginny. They were pale with their eyes shut. They couldn't have been petrified, so they must have been….

"They won't wake," said a male voice from behind us. Harry turned around slowly and gasped.

"Tom….Tom Riddle?"

The man nodded, his eyes shifting between Harry and me.

"What do you mean, they won't wake? What happened to Clara?" I demanded.

"Are they dead?" Harry asked angrily.

"Still alive. But only just."

"Are you a ghost?" This was a strange question, but I figured Harry didn't think Riddle was an enemy. Unlike me. I needed to find a way to warn Harry without Riddle finding out.

"A memory. Preserved in a diary for fifty years." He indicated the diary on the floor next to the girls.

"You've got to help us, Tom!" Harry pleaded. "There's a basilisk, it could come any minute."

Harry managed to hoist Ginny up. I did the same with Clara. I had been smart enough to keep my wand hidden in my purse, but Harry had left his on the floor. When we looked back up, Riddle was twirling it between his fingers.

"Thanks," Harry said, reaching out for the wand. Riddle kept twirling it.

"Give him back his wand!" I used more charmspeak than ever before.

Riddle stopped for a second, appalled. Then he raised his eyebrows. "Ah. I know your kind, silly little girl. A demigod. Aphrodite, isn't it? Clarissa told me all about you."

"There's no time for this!" Harry exclaimed. "You don't understand, Tom, there's a basilisk, it could come any minute-"

"It won't come until it's called," said Riddle calmly. Harry gave me a look.

"What do you mean, called?"

Riddle waved his hand dismissively. "I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter and Renee Black."

"Waited for _what_ , exactly?" I demanded. "And my name's Sanderson! Not Black!"

Riddle laughed.

"Tom, you don't understand, we can talk later, we need to get these girls out-"

"To meet you two, of course. Harry Potter, the one who defeated the Dark Lord as a tiny infant. And Renee Black, the baby wonder. How did you do it?"

"Do _what_ , exactly? I'm like any other eleven year old girl!" Well, I _was_ a demigod, but that wasn't what he was talking about.

Harry finally started to feel uncomfortable, I could feel it. We needed a signal to communicate, I could tell he and I, as well as Clara, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and maybe others could get into these situations a lot.

"We're going to talk now," Riddle said, as if reading my mind. "If Lord Voldemort had succeeded, neither of you would be alive. _How did you manage it_?"

"How did Ginny and Clara get like this?" I asked, trying to distract him. I might not get out alive, but I wanted to guarantee my friends would. Clara, Ginny, and Harry were worth too much for that.

"Well that, Miss Black, is a very interesting question." The man thought for a second, and I noticed he was becoming less blurry. I felt a shiver down my spine and willed myself not to think about what that meant.

"I guess it's because they poured out all their secrets to an invisible stranger."

"Your diary," I growled. "Who are you, _Tom Riddle_?"

Riddle ignored my question. "Ginny'd been writing in it for a month. Then, when she got to school, I was delighted to see that little Clarissa had picked it up with Ginny, as I knew she was the closest person to you. They told me all about how their brothers _tease_ them, how they worried were going to _fail_ school, how _you_ , Miss Black, turned against them in their hardest moments, and of course, Ginny wrote about how _Harry Potter_ would never _love_ her back. Pathetic, really.

"It's so _boring_ to have to listen to the silly troubles of two little girls. But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic and kind. And they _were_ useful assets, being so close to you two.

"They simply _loved_ me. ' _No one's ever understood me like you, Tom,' 'I wish all my friends could be like you instead of Renee and Clarisse_."

"Clara would _never_ have said that! You did something to her!"

"Only the power of suggestion. I was really hoping she could get you on board, and then I'd only have to get to Harry. But I guess you did that part for me anyway."

"Me?"

"Potter found my diary in a bathroom. Later, Ginny told me that the diary was stolen. Clarissa, however, stopped writing to me shortly after. She, it seems had seen sense. But it was too late for her. I had to petrify her, and it was just my luck she was found with that Granger _mudblood_ brat. I know Potter is nothing without _her_.

"Anyway, Ginny started to realize something was up, and she was frantic. Her entries became much more interesting. And then today she decided to spill the beans, so I had to take her. That, and, I needed the two of you.

"Back to the question at hand. How _did_ you survive?"

"I don't know!" Harry screamed in frustration. "Why do you care, Voldemort was after your time.

"Voldemort," said Riddle, drawing a pattern with Harry's wand, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter." He used the wand to spell out his full name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. With a swish, it became "I am Lord Voldemort." I gasped.

"You, Renee Black, are a Slytherin. I will only offer once: join me. Join me and get glory. Ginny put too much of herself into me, Clara too. They will soon be dead, and Potter by their side. Join me or perish with them."

"I'd take death over you any day, with Hades I at least know what to expect! Expelliarmus!"

Voldemort deflected the spell. I groaned, nobody'd ever taught us the blocking for that spell. "You'd best be a bit more careful, Black! Very well. Dishonor Slytherin a little longer while you can still live to tell the tale!"

"Wait….did you frame Hagrid, then?" Harry roared.

"But of course. The only one who tried to stop me was Professor Dumbledore, who's been driven out by the mere image of me! He'll never return, and I will take over the school!"

"Dumbledore's probably already back tonight," I scoffed. "Help will always be given at Hogwarts for those who ask for it!"

"Yeah, and Dumbledore will always be here for those who remain loyal to him!" Harry added. He looked at me. "And we're loyal!" We yelled at the same time.

Riddle cackled. "Ha! Good one. But the _loyal_ followers you are to Dumbledore can't save you from what's about to happen, Potter."

"Oh yeah?" I countered. "Then where's that music coming from?"

Harry looked around, he could hear it too, a low tune coming from above us. Suddenly, a giant bird swooped in, red and gold with a silver underbelly. It dropped something at our feet.

"Ha! So this is what Dumbledore gives his great defenders? A songbird and an old hat?" Voldemort then said something in Parseltongue that was too fast for us to catch. We heard a low rumbling, the snake was being released.

Without thinking, I held Clara tightly. "Oh your _precious_ Bradley can't save you now, Black! I'd like to see you _try_ to get out of this one."

My inner Clarisse finally started acting up. "Harry, behind that rock!" I yelled. The basilisk was looking right at him. Fawkes, the phoenix, had flown up and was doing his best to attack the basilisk while we cowered. Eventually, though, we had to step out. We laid Clara and Ginny behind the rock so that no harm would come to their bodies and then went back out. The snake was looking at us. I motioned Harry to come back and pulled him to the rock.

I conjured up a mirror with my wand. "Do you know the duplication spell?"

"Geminio?" Harry suggested. I nodded and tried it, and the mirror duplicated.

"Take this and run, but if it drops, leave it and go fight!"

Riddle was still cackling. "Ginny opened the chamber! She strangled Hagrid's roosters! Clara and Ginny wrote the messages."

By then I knew it was true. I tried to ignore Voldemort at all costs, and I ran for the hat. It was the sorting hat.

"Tell me everything, Potter," Voldemort was saying. "Why did you survive?"

"My mother died to save me! My common, Muggle-born mother! And you'll never understand that, will you?"

"I suppose not, but no matter-"

"Harry, don't let him distract you!" I yelled across the room. Harry didn't seem to hear me.

"I saw the real you! Last year! You're a wreck, you're barely alive! You can't do much to harm me right now!"

"Ah yes, but when the brats die I will be fully myself again."

At that moment, Fawkes swooped in. I noticed he had been battling it out with the basilisk, and suddenly the snake gave out something like a scream. I looked up, the phoenix had blinded the monster.

Now was the time for me to dash and grab the hat, maybe it had some advice or something. Voldemort was yelling at the snake now. "Don't go for the bird, go for the boy, he's right there, the _boy!_ You can still smell him!"

I ran for the hat and jammed it on my head. "Black! How did you manage to live when the greatest sorcerer in the world was at your heels? I tracked you from the minute you came out of the Lotus Casino as an infant! Black!"

I gasped, wishing Silena was there to confirm it. But now I had to respond. "You're _not_ the greatest sorcerer alive, that's Albus Dumbledore!"

Suddenly, the hat started to tighten. It was getting so tight, and then something fell out of it. It was a bright, ruby-encrusted sword. I knew how to use a sword, so I beckoned to Harry. "Take my wand, Harry!"

He nodded and grabbed the wand from me. "Where did you get that?" he whispered to me.

"It was in the hat. Let's get that snake!" Harry nodded. Then he ran as the snake swooped upon him. I screamed as it sank its fangs into Harry's arm. He flailed, but the snake held on. That was when I decided to do something stupid. I took a flying leap onto the beast's back to pull it off of my friend.

"Renee, NO!" Harry yelled, but it was too late. What I had done was gotten the snake to release him. But now it noticed me.

"You're a dead woman, Black!" Voldemort yelled as the snake whipped around to face me. Fawkes was circling Harry, and I was alone. Suddenly Harry rose. I could tell he had no strength, but he held my wand. "Im….immo….immobulus!" Then he collapsed. But the damage had been done, the snake could no longer move for the time being. I held the sword confidently and stabbed it into the basilisk's neck. I took a flying leap as its head came rolling off.

I somehow landed just right, but Riddle was gaining form quickly. Harry, however, had picked up a fang with his last energy, and walked over to the diary.

"No! Stop! What are you doing?" Riddle yelled in agony. He was fading, and then he was gone. I ran to Harry. Fawkes landed beside us, and Clara and Ginny started to stir.

"Renee, get them out, find Ron, and get yourselves up! Leave me!"

"Harry, no!"

Fawkes was crying next to Harry on his wound.

"Even the bird knows I'm gone, see? He's crying over me."

I thought back to what Dumbledore had said about phoenixes. "Harry, no. He's not. Phoenix tears have healing powers, remember?" I broke into a grin, then looked back at the girls. Clara woke first.

"Wren, what happened," she mumbled. "I was in the library, and then I was coming down here with Ginny! It's all so fuzzy!"

"Relax, Clara. Everything's okay now. Relax."

"Wren, Ginny and I opened the chamber. We didn't mean to, it was Riddle, you were right not to trust him."

I slipped my arm around her. Harry came over and handed me my wand. He'd retrieved his own when Riddle disappeared. Fawkes led us back through the hole we had come through.

* * *

Ron was overjoyed to see us. "Ginny!" He exclaimed, rushing over to hug his sister. Then, he looked at Harry and me. "What happened?"

"Later," Harry whispered back, it seemed he didn't want to tell Ron who Tom Riddle really was in the presence of Ginny and Clara in their fragile state. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. This git's not, though, he was blasted with his own memory charm."

I started laughing uncontrollably. After everything I'd done today, the fact that Lockhart had been given a taste of his own medicine was downright hilarious. Soon we were all laughing, even Ginny. Then Lockhart came over to us.

"Who are all you lovely fellows?"

I thought fast. "We're Dorothy, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Toto."

Harry and Clara burst into laughter again. Ron and Ginny giggled confusedly.

"And who am I?"

"The Wizard of Oz."

I noticed Fawkes looked impatient (well, as much as a bird could). His wing was outstretched to me, as if asking me to grab on. Ron noticed too.

"Does he think he can….carry us?"

"Fawkes," I said, my eyes twinkling, "is an extraordinary bird." I winked at Clara to show her this was the same bird from Dumbledore's office. She grinned, and I grabbed onto the wing. Clara grabbed my hand, Ginny took hers, Ron took Ginny's, Lockhart to Ron, and Harry bringing up the rear. Then we were off, and Lockhart yelled "This is amazing! It's just like magic!" and that just set all five of us off again.

* * *

 **A/N so this is chapter 25. I hope you enjoyed it. I'd really like some commentary on the fight scene, it's my first one I find successful. I mean, I know I only have two or three before this but I just really want to know what you thought. I'll also let you know that this, like many of my chapters, was basically written off the top of my head, so if it's a little jumbled, sorry. Also it's 1 am where I am, so please excuse any typos but point out anything that looks like it was written at 1 in the morning.**

 **I'll probably do two more filler-type chapters and then get into Sea of Monsters. Hope you enjoyed it. Please rate/review!**

 _ **Hufflepufferfish**_


	26. Dumbledore vs The Bradleys

_**A/N so here's 26. Clara's back in action, but I see this chapter as easier in Renee POV unfortunately. Or maybe a mix. You know me, I just make stuff up as I go along. Kinda like JK Rowling on her twitter….anyways, chapter 26 everyone.**_

* * *

 **Renee POV**

We walked up to Dumbledore's office, Clara gripping my hand. The door was ajar, and Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Percy, Mr. and Mrs. Bradley, David, McGonagall, Sprout, and Dumbledore were all waiting restlessly.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley screamed, running to hug her daughter. "Oh _Ginny_!"

David ran to Clara in quite the same way, their parents quickly on his heels. "Clara! You're safe! Oh Clara, we thought for sure…." He embraced her. Then he stepped back for his parents to hug her, and stepped over to me. "Renee." He smiled warmly.

"David."

"You…." he looked around at everyone. "You saved them!"

I looked at Harry and Ron. "They helped. Actually, Harry did most of the work."

"Nonsense." Harry shook his head. " _You_ killed the snake."

"Well….fine. But I am _not_ about to take credit for that alone."

"But Renee," Mrs. Bradley asked, "how?"

"I think that is what we would all like to know," said McGonagall faintly.

Harry and I looked at each other, and then launched into a fifteen minute explanation about the disembodied voice we had first heard with Lockhart, how Hermione and Clara had finally realized that the voice was a basilisk, how they had been petrified ("or else this whole thing could have been solved a lot sooner," Ron interjected), how we had followed the spiders after Hagrid was arrested and learned that the girl had died in a bathroom, and how I had figured out it was probably Myrtle.

"That's all very well," said McGonagall when I took a breath. "So you found the chamber, breaking more than fifty school rules, I might add. But how did you manage to escape?"

Harry's voice was growing hoarse, but I kept talking, telling them about Fawkes's timely arrival and how the heir was really Lord Voldemort. Everyone except for Dumbledore gasped at this point. Dumbledore just smiled and nodded. Then he spoke.

"What interests me most," he said, "is how Voldemort managed to enchant the girls. Especially when my sources tell me he is currently in Albania."

" _You-know-who_ -enchant Ginny?" Mr Weasley stammered. "But Ginny's not….Ginny hasn't….?"

Harry and I exchanged a look of relief. Dumbledore knew that there was something else about this that didn't make sense, and he didn't want to blame first years.

"It was this diary, Professor," I explained.

Harry nodded. "Voldemort wrote in it as a boy."

"Brilliant," Dumbledore whispered. "Of course, Voldemort was one of the most brilliant students Hogwarts has ever seen." At this, the Weasleys looked shocked.

"Ah yes. You see, many people do not know that during his boyhood, Voldemort went by another name. His birth name was Tom Marvolo Riddle." Dumbledore showed them the diary.

"There's no way we are letting our daughter and her best friend stay here! We're bringing Clara and Renee home after we sort out this mess, and they're never returning. Witch or not, they have enough to worry about without episodes like this!"

"Dad no! Hogwarts is just as important to me as-" I gave her a look, there were enough people who didn't know the secret that she shouldn't say it here. "As Muggle school was back before all this," she finished lamely. I rolled my eyes.

"No! Clara, you can't stay here! We got a message from Renee saying you were probably _dead_ , and that she was going to try to rescue you!" He turned to face Dumbledore. "Why would you let a school be run like this?"

I suddenly remembered something I should have thought of weeks ago, when Clara was petrified and I first got the letter from David. "Mr. Bradley, you see that woman over there? That's Professor Sprout, Clara's Head of House and the herbology professor. She's like us."

Mr. Bradley raised his eyebrows. "You mean….?"

"Yes, Dad," Clara said. "But not here."

"I am sorry to interrupt this but we should get Ginny up to the hospital wing. And there is one in your party who has been strangely silent. Cat got your tongue, Gilderoy?"

The five of us started laughing uncontrollably again. I know it was mean, but we couldn't stop. "Professor Lockhart tried to perform a memory charm on us, Professor. He used Ron's wand, though, so it backfired," I explained. Ron held up his broken wand, and his parents smiled weakly.

"Impaled by your own sword, Gilderoy?"

"I haven't got a sword. That girl does, though, she can lend you one."

Dumbledore smiled and looked at me.

"Ron, can you take Gilderoy up to the hospital wing? And Molly, why don't you follow with Ginny. Arthur, take the Bradleys, you all could use something for stress. Minerva, go alert the kitchen staff, I think we could use a feast."

McGonagall rolled her eyes. Dumbledore then looked at the remaining people, who were me, Harry, Clara, Sprout, Percy, Fred, and George.

"Fred, George, will you go up to the Gryffindor common room? I believe it was Longbottom who told you that Harry and Ron did not follow him up to bed? Will you alert him that everyone is safe?"

Fred and George left, smiling. "Percy, will you alert the other Prefects and Head Boys/Girls that the heir is gone and the chamber no longer a problem, and that there will be a feast for all houses?"

Percy nodded and left, much less cheerful than Fred and George had been. Once they were gone, we looked toward Sprout and Dumbledore. "You can't make us leave!" Clara begged. "I'll fight to get back. I'll enchant another Ford Anglia and fly here if I have to!"

Harry laughed and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. I grinned.

"Renee, you forgot, didn't you?"

"Forgot what?" I asked, although I was pretty sure I knew what.

"You forgot that I was a demigod-witch. Exactly like you two."

"Yeah, I guess." I grinned sheepishly. "But what will it do for our case?"

"I believe I told one of you that I had heard from Chiron recently. He's been….replaced, it's actually because of Kronos. Do you remember what Chiron and Kronos have to do with each other?"

Clara and I thought for a minute. "Kronos is….his father, isn't he?" Clara asked slowly. Sprout nodded. Then there was a bang on the door, and the conversation was interrupted as Lucius Malfoy burst in on us.

"So it's true. Dumbledore has returned, then? Even after the governors removed you?"

Dobby was trailing Lucius. When he saw the diary, he pointed between his master, the book, and his head. I couldn't figure it out.

"Strange tales they told me, too. Very strange indeed. Most of them were under the impression that you would curse their entire families if they didn't agree to suspend me." Dumbledore smiled. "I got a flurry of owls this evening, they seemed to think I was the best man for the job. Once they found out two girls, one being the daughter of a prominent Ministry worker, had been killed in the chamber, they requested me back immediately."

Lucius sneered. " _Well_?"

"What?" I snapped back without thinking.

"Hold your tongue you insolent little girl, this is a matter between the headmaster and myself."

"Don't talk to my students that way, Lucius," said Dumbledore calmly. "And yes, the attacks have been stopped."

"And the culprit?" He looked around at us, as if he believed one of us responsible.

Dobby was insistently pointing between the book and Lucius and then slapping his head. I finally understood, and Harry looked at me, he had too. Lucius was responsible for the diary.

"Same as last time, Lucius. But this time, he acted through others, Ginerva Weasley and Clarissa Bradley, via _this_." He indicated the diary, and it was clear that he understood Dobby's message as well. Malfoy raised his eyebrows.

"A clever plan, had it not been discovered. It was our very own Renee Sanderson, this first year you see here, who first had suspicions that this book may not be what it seemed. Had it not been discovered by Harry, Renee, and their friend Ron, Ginny Weasley could very well have taken all the blame, as if she was acting of her _own free will_." He looked right at Lucius as he said these last three words.

Lucius gave him a hard stare. "If you're trying to suggest that _I_ had something to do with that diary ending up in Miss Weasley's possession, that's preposterous. I care deeply about the welfare of this school _and_ its students."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Be that as it may, Lucius, if any of Voldemort's old school things were to find their way back, the punishments would be _severe_ for the one responsible."

Lucius nodded. "If that is all, I'll be going now." He gave Dobby a kick, making Clara yelp.

Harry and I looked at each other. We were getting too good at communicating without words, something Clara and I had never mastered. It was a little unnerving.

I picked up the diary. "Professor, since Harry and I went through all the trouble, may we give this book _back_ to Mr. Malfoy?"

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling as they so often did. Harry and I ran out to catch him, leaving Clara and Sprout looking bewildered.

"Mr. Malfoy!" I called. "Wait!"

"What is it, girl?" He snarled when he saw me.

"We wanted you to have this, as it _was_ originally yours," Harry explained innocently.

"Mine? Rubbish. Dobby, take this." He chucked the little book at the house elf, and Harry and I watched eagerly.

"Dobby, come," Malfoy ordered, but the elf wouldn't move. "I said come!"

"No!" The elf yelled. "Mister Malfoy is no longer Dobby's master!"

"Nonsense!" Malfoy retorted, but Dobby had flipped to the back page of the diary, where there were two socks. The elf had a wide grin. Harry cuffed his pants on his right leg, and I did the same with my left. Harry was missing one black sock, I was missing one pink.

"Potter! Sanderson! You cost me my elf!" Malfoy roared, pulling out his wand. Harry and I pulled out ours, but Dobby was quicker.

"YOU WILL NOT HARM HARRY POTTER AND RENEE SANDERSON!" Dobby shot something from his hands that tripped Malfoy. Harry and I grinned.

Dobby came over to us. "Thank you, Harry Potter and Renee Sanderson. Dobby will do anything to repay you, sir and miss."

"Just….never try to save our lives again, okay Dobby?" Harry asked. The elf nodded.

"Will you be okay, Dobby?" I added. We had to get back to Dumbledore, we hadn't finished our conversation. Dobby nodded again, and I grinned. I now knew that if the Bradleys knew Clara had friends like me and Harry, they'd let her stay.

Dumbledore smiled when we got back to his office. "Clara, I don't believe your parents have anything to worry about when you have friends like Renee and Harry here." We grinned.

"Now, who actually pulled that sword out of the hat?" Dumbledore asked.

"It was Renee, and she was the one who killed the snake. I just immobilized it."

"I thought so. Clara, Sprout, you may go. Clara, go down to the hospital wing and inform your family that they are of course allowed to stay for the feast, and that there is a hotel in Hogsmeade that will take them for the night if they wish. Pomona, can you send a letter to Azkaban for Hagrid's release?"

They nodded, and I grinned.

Once they left, Dumbledore resumed what he was saying. "This brings us to an interesting conundrum. You must have shown me real loyalty in the chamber, Renee and Harry. Otherwise Fawkes would not have come. Take a closer look at this sword."

On the hilt, there was an engraving. "Godric Gryffindor," Harry said. "So Renee….you belong in Gryffindor…." Harry and I looked up confusedly.

"So it would seem," said Dumbledore. "If you want, that is."

"But professor, it's clear I belong in Slytherin just as much as she belongs in Gryffindor. I mean, Voldemort and I have many similarities. We can speak Parseltongue, we're both orphans, we're both half bloods. The only reason I'm not in Slytherin is because I chose to be."

"All three of those things apply to me as well. I'm a Parselmouth, I'm an orphan, and I'm a half-blood. _And_ I'm in Slytherin because I was given a choice, too," I said hotly. "And no, I really don't want to switch, Harry, I'm sorry. I chose Slytherin as a challenge when sorted, and the little eleven year old girl I was then would have done anything to be given this opportunity. But the twelve year old girl I am now wants to stay in Slytherin." Yep. It was June 9th, and I had been twelve for over a month without realizing it. "Who'd keep Sandra and Gill company? Who'd be there to keep Kaylee Parkinson in check? And most importantly, who'd be there to help Luna and save her from the teasing in Herbology?"

"Very well," said Dumbledore, smiling. "In that case, one hundred points each to Ron and Harry for Gryffindor, and fifty for Slytherin."

"Professor, that's not fair!" Harry yelled. "Renee did most of the work!"

"Oh, look at the hourglasses on your way out and you will see that it is, indeed, very fair." Dumbledore smiled again. "We'll have the closing feast tonight."

Harry and I left the office to make our way down to the feast, stopping to look at the hourglasses on the way. There were exactly as many rubies as emeralds, and Gryffindor and Slytherin were tied for the lead. Harry and I looked at each other and grinned.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So here's the next chapter. I'll be publishing a bit more this week, because I am on break. So enjoy the frequent updates while they last. Tomorrow I have to work a lot on homework, and on Friday I go to New York, so that means I expect to finish Chamber of Secrets with the feast and the train ride home on Thursday, and then I will read Sea of Monsters to see what I can do with Clara and Renee then. As always, please review! Thanks to reader**_ _ **chocolate-writing-perfection**_ _**for being my biggest supporter and inspiration for this. If you aren't following her story, it's**_ _ **Love and Hate's Daughter**_ _ **, and then the sequel is**_ _ **The Years of Change**_ _ **. If you like this story, I can guarantee you'll love hers as well.**_

 _ **Anyway please review!**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	27. Back to New York

_**A/N Hey look! It's Clara! Back in her POV at last!**_

* * *

 **Clara POV:**

I was so happy to be back in action. I sat at the Hufflepuff table with Kat and Rebecca, and also with Renee, Gill, Sandra, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the last of whom had been released just in time for the feast. Just a little bit away from us were the second year Hufflepuffs. Justin had come embarrassedly to apologize to us a few minutes before, and Dumbledore had announced a tie for the house cup between Gryffindor and Slytherin, something completely unheard of in history. Hufflepuff had taken second place, with Ravenclaw last. My parents had declined the feast, and Dumbledore had helped them get back to America with Floo powder. David had apologized for their rude behavior and promised he'd do everything he could to convince them I had to stay. He also had made Renee and me promise to come home before going to camp, so that we could really have a chance to talk.

Dumbledore announced that exams would be cancelled as a school treat, except for NEWTs and OWLs, and everyone except for fifth years, seventh years, and Hermione cheered. Ron elbowed her. "You haven't even studied, Hermione!"

Hagrid burst in at around two in the morning, and the cheers from all but the Slytherin table nearly destroyed the cafeteria, we were so happy.

* * *

All too soon, our bags were packed and we were piling onto the train. I scored a compartment with Renee, Ginny, Hermione, Fred, George, Harry, and Ron. We sat and laughed, playing the Bertie Botts game and trading chocolate frog cards. When we were full, Harry finally said something that had been on everyone's mind, although mostly subconsciously.

"So, Ginny, what was it that Percy didn't want us to tell you?"

"I….I saw him with….well….I shouldn't say, really…."

"Oh, go on, Ginny," Renee urged her. I couldn't tell if she was using charmspeak or not, but we all joined in on urging and eventually Ginny gave in.

"Percy has a girlfriend! I walked in on them kissing in a classroom!" We burst out laughing.

"Who is it, Ginny?" George asked, laughing hard.

"Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect. That's why he was so upset when she was petrified." Ginny looked at us, then directly at Fred and George. "You won't tell him, will you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," they said in unison, looking like Christmas had come early.

After that, Renee went to say goodbye to some of her Slytherin friends, as well as Luna. Ginny went over to Rachel's compartment, and the rest of us fell asleep.

* * *

 _I smelled the warm air and wondered where I was. A minute later, it hit me: Florida. I heard the clip-clop of hooves on pavement. It must have been Grover the satyr. He was being chased by something big, and I saw a shadow round the corner after him. Grover was muttering,_ have to get away, have to warn them _, and the thing was chasing him. He ducked into a bridal shop, but the monster followed him._

* * *

I sat bolt upright as we went over the hill that I knew as the midway point. Harry was explaining telephones to Ron, and he gave Ron and Hermione his number. "Oh, Clara, you're awake. Do you want one?"

"Renee and I don't have phones, but thanks."

Renee looked up. I hadn't noticed her, but she was sitting on the bench next to Hermione. "Harry, that reminds me, send Clara or me a letter for general communication, but if you must communicate with us urgently, use these next to water to create an iris message. Just say our names, because I have no idea where we'll be. We should be at camp, but with Kronos, you never know." Renee had accidentally said all that out loud for everyone, but the others were distracted by a tapping at the window.

"Dusk!" I exclaimed. I opened the letter. "We have cleared the fireplace for Floo powder at home," I read. "You and Renee can come straight home, no worries. Love, David." I grinned. "Renee, that's okay with you, right?"

"Perfect." I heard the train pull into the station and knew that I only had a few minutes with my friends before we left across the ocean for the summer. There was a knock at the door, and my Hufflepuff friends came bursting in.

"Didn't think you could escape us, did you, Clara?" Kat teased.

Ernie picked me up out of my chair and hugged me. "Write to us from New York, okay Clara?"

I nodded.

"Renee," Susan Bones said, "sorry for the way we treated you. Next year will be different, I promise. We're Hufflepuffs, after all. We shouldn't treat anyone this way."

Renee grinned. "Thanks. It's Susan, right?" Susan Bones nodded. "Pleased to meet you, Susan. I'm glad you're friends with Clara."

Susan smiled. "See you next year!"

The Hufflepuffs filed out, and we left after them. Harry hugged Renee tightly. I couldn't tell what their relationship was or was turning into, but a small jealous feeling nagged at me about them. I decided to ignore it, they weren't falling in love, that I was sure of. Renee was too into Gill to fall for Harry, especially since she knew Ginny was enamored with him. Renee wasn't the type to ruin someone else's relationship. Unless it was Drew. Or Kaylee. Or….I was getting ahead of myself again.

Ginny threw herself at me. "To many more adventures together, hopefully not like this year though." I grinned and we walked onto the platform and out into the Muggle world.

* * *

"We really need to talk about this, Clara, Renee."

"David! Can we at least put our stuff down first?"

"Yes, but just so you know, our brothers are out but probably won't be for much longer. I made some cookies, those sandwich ones you love, and they're waiting in the kitchen. Your parents and I have agreed on some ground rules. We've read _Hogwarts: A History_ and learned what you can and can't have and do. I'm on your side for this one, although I do believe that as a family-and that includes you, Renee-we need to set some things up."

I hugged my brother. "You're the best, David."

* * *

Mom ran to me. "Clara! We were so scared. We didn't feel it was right to stay for the feast, we wanted you to spend the time with your friends. But….your dad and I have talked, and you _can_ go back. I don't want to give you two cell phones, but a better contact would be nice. I don't trust those drachmas, and Dusk is too slow."

My dad sat in the armchair nodding. "We were wondering if you could ask Chiron and Dumbledore if there was any way you could have phones. I mean I know it's a hazard, but-"

Renee cut him off. "No, Mr. Bradley, I'm really sorry. There's no way. Monsters trace cell signals, and they don't work at Hogwarts anyway."

"That's what I thought. In that case, we have some ground rules. I know we can't say not to do anything dangerous, because that's just the life of a demigod, but here are the ground rules: Don't go chasing after serial killers when you can't help it, don't voluntarily sign yourself up at Hogwarts to fight a dragon, don't go on any rescue missions that don't involve your closest friends, don't try to save any special wizarding artifacts from dark caves, and don't tour the country looking for more magical objects. Got it?"

"Wow, Mr. Bradley, you've got it covered!"

Mom laughed. "Also, we've arranged to have monthly correspondence with Professor Sprout. If anything goes wrong, we'll hear it from her or you, got it? Not from Dumbledore, not from Chiron, not from Snape. From you or Sprout."

We nodded and I was about to say something when there was a frantic knock at the door. It didn't sound like my brothers, they would just burst in with their key. So it would have had to be someone from camp. Renee jumped up to go get it, and David followed her, alarmed.

"Annabeth," she gasped. I ran to the door to look.

"Annabeth?"

"Get in the car, you two. I'm glad you're both here, I had to pick you up immediately, Percy and his _cyclops_ friend Tyson were in trouble. Are your things packed?"

I had never seen Annabeth rushed like this before. "Annabeth, we just got in. I haven't even seen most of my brothers yet."

Annabeth gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Clara, but this can't wait. I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I should get you now. You have your trunks?"

I looked between David and Renee. "David, I'm really sorry. Can you go get our trunks? Even though we just put them away? It looks like we might need to be off."

David groaned. "But what about Ross and Dallas? They've been waiting for you."

"I'll call tonight, I promise." I shrugged. What could I say? Life of a demigod, that was just how it was. "I'm so sorry."

"Do you two have your wands?" Annabeth asked nervously.

"We're not allowed to use magic outside of school."

"Chiron and I found a loophole there." Annabeth smiled for the first time since she had arrived. "That law only exists when the Ministry of Magic of your country know you exist. Because you were born in England, some European countries have you down, but we made sure our ministry didn't.

"Wait…." Renee asked, "I was born in England? I mean, I know Clara must have been, but me?"

"Yes. I've done some research. We still don't know who your parents are, but we are pretty sure you were born outside of America. As for Clara, she was actually born here, but conceived in the UK, so it still counts. We got the Empire State Building to give us some records just for sure."

"Wait….the American ministry is in the Empire State Building too?"

"We don't know, the doorman wouldn't tell us. But he has connections all over the city. Renee, you're strangely quiet."

"If you'd been through what we have this past year, you'd understand why I'm not exactly _happy_ about you showing up and dragging us away."

The edge in Renee's voice was one I hadn't heard in more than a year. Were England Renee and New York Renee even the same person? I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Renee," I whispered, "calm down." At this time, David had brought our stuff down, and he hugged each of us tightly.

"Call me as soon as you're safe….ish."

I nodded. "Come on," Annabeth pleaded. "Please? Can we go? I'll tell you everything in the car."

"Okay." I'd forgotten how much Annabeth could calm Renee down if she really tried. I guess we all could occasionally.

* * *

"What's going on at camp?" I asked as we piled into the taxi….not a taxi….thing. There were three women in the front squabbling about something.

"The eye! Give me the eye!"

"Not until I get the tooth!"

"I don't have the tooth, she does!"

Renee and I looked at each other. The car expanded to fit us all.

"Drive!" Annabeth yelled.

I nodded hello to Percy, the last time I had seen him was when I saved his life. Neither of us expected anything of it, of course, but it was awkward all the same. Then we noticed the _thing_ sitting next to him.

"What's that?" Renee asked rudely, forgetting herself. I kicked her in the shin as Percy glared at her.

"Don't cry, big guy. Renee didn't mean that as an insult. _That_ is Tyson, and he's my friend," Percy said strongly.

I looked at the women in the front seat, then back at Annabeth. "Why is Annabeth doing this?" Renee whispered.

"Trust me, they're wise."

The ladies nodded. "Wise, yes."

"We know things. We've had celebrities in this car."

"Like Jason, remember him?"

"No, you old bat, that was a chariot! Three thousand years ago we didn't have a taxi!"

I exchanged a glance with Percy and Renee. Percy looked somewhere between laughter and terror. Renee was just infuriated.

"But we know things," the ladies said. "Every street in Manhattan."

"The capital of Nepal."

"The location you seek, Jackson."

"Don't tell him, he hasn't asked yet! Stop!"

Percy was startled. "What location? I'm not seeking-"

"You're right. It's nothing. Nothing at all."

Renee had remembered herself. "Tell him!"

"No!" One of the ladies yelled. "Last time we told it was awful."

"Eye tossed in the lake. Speaking of which, give it back!"

"No!"

The three then tackled each other in something that my young friends and I used to call a catfight. Only much, much worse. There was a terrible popping sound and all three women screeched.

"My eye! I can't see!" All three wailed.

The eye had rolled by Percy's foot, and he and Renee flinched. I quickly pulled out my wand to give it back, but realized that was a bad idea, and I could hurt the eye. I also couldn't remember a single spell that would do it. Renee, however, had other ideas.

"We won't give it back until you tell us the location." Percy nodded vigorously.

Annabeth and I looked at each other. If this was the game Renee and Percy were going to play, we were in big trouble.

"NO!" The ladies yelled.

"Yes! You will tell us, or you won't get the eye back."

"Accelerating!" One of the ladies exclaimed.

"Percy, Renee, if you don't give the eye back, we're going to crash miles from our destination," Annabeth tried to reason.

"Not until they tell us the location!"

"Okay, fine! And then you'll give us the eye! 30, 31, 75, 12!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Renee asked indignantly.

"30, 31, 75, 12!" They screamed again. "That's all we can say! Now give me the eye!"

Suddenly I remembered one spell that could work. "Wingardium Leviosa," I whispered. The eye flew up to the roof of the car and to the ladies. Surprisingly, it hit one of them squarely in their eye socket.

They got us to camp and the door swung open. "Now tell me!"

"Percy, no! There's no time!" We all followed Annabeth's gaze across the window and saw what she meant. The camp was under attack.

The five of us rushed out of the car and the ladies sped off.

"Clarisse!" I yelled. "We have to help her!"

* * *

 _ **A/N: So yeah this was a bit of a filler but I need to read the book more at a time when I can really think about it.**_

 _ **Unrelated but I am probably going to activate my FictionPress account soon, and I hope you all can follow whatever I publish there. I've recently found I absolutely love online writing because you can publish as much or little as you want, and over as much time as you need. And all my readers are so supportive.**_

 _ **I'll probably also start my Ron*Harry ship story soon. I've been thinking about it for a while and I'm really excited to start it. I hope I can get as much support on it as I have for this.**_

 _ **Anyway thanks for reading and please review.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	28. Everything and Nothing Has Changed

_**A/N: So my new story,**_ _**Love Letters to my Roommate**_ _ **, is up, and thank you to**_ _ **chocolate-writing-perfection**_ _**for being the first to review. It's in Ron's perspective and it will be short and most likely funny, I won't give as much time to it as I do to this story though. Anyway, the story is in Ron's perspective, told through his diary, and it shows his relationship with Harry Potter as boyfriends. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you.**_

 _ **So now I'm back to Camp Half Blood. Let me know if I start to use one character much more than another, I really want to have a healthy balance between Clara and Renee.**_

 _ **On another note, I was just looking at my stats. Last month just BLEW UP with views and visitors. For the month of March, I had 1,131 views and 248 visitors. Many of the viewers were international, and I would love it if the international viewers-and everyone else-told me what you thought or even commented something about yourself, I really want to know my viewers.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading this and sorry it was long. Now onto chapter 28.**_

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

I didn't know how to feel about Clarisse, but one thing was clear. She hadn't changed much.

I shuddered when I saw what was attacking the camp. I had decided last year that I did NOT like bulls. And that was just one of them then.

I saw Percy shudder alongside me. He had experiences with the Minotaur too. I reached for Clara's hand. I was still clingy to her. But Clara didn't notice, and Percy took hold.I gave him a small smile and remembered myself.

I had been a jerk from the minute Annabeth showed up, most likely because if nerves, but I could remedy that. "Come on, we need to help Clarisse!"

Clarisse was being attacked by two metal bulls the size of trucks.

"Border patrol, to me!" I looked at Percy. We didn't _have_ a border patrol.

"Tyson, stay here. I can't have you getting hurt, okay?" Percy's friend started to protest, but he and I were already running to Clarisse. Annabeth and Clara were close behind us, Annabeth trying to get Percy's attention.

Unfortunately, Clarisse could only gather six campers. The other four were running around with their helmets on fire. That was when I noticed the worst thing about these Bulls: they were behind the pine tree, Thalia's pine tree, the one that kept the camp safe from attacks. Or at least, it had.

Annabeth and Clara had run to the other four campers to help. Annabeth had taunted one of the bulls into chasing her, and then turned invisible, confusing the bull. The bull then went for Clara, and I gulped.

Miraculously, Clara was able to summon a sunbeam at the last second, and whisk herself away from the bull. She landed on the other side, and I could almost feel the wind in her hair and hear her laughing. Apparently sunbeams were funnier than I thought.

I grinned. The sunbeams were just what I needed to distract myself from this funk I'd been in ever since we arrived in New York.

But it was almost too late. The bulls were both charging Clarisse, and without thinking, I yelled, "Clarisse, look out!" at the same time Percy yelled, "Behind you!"

All our yelling did was startle her, and I gasped, running toward her, but I wasn't fast enough. Percy lunged at her and fell, and all hope was lost.

There was a flash of light and Clara landed next to Clarisse, pulling her away from the bulls. Annabeth was commanding the other kids. Suddenly, she looked to Tyson. I knew what she would do a second before she did it. "Annabeth, no!"

But Annabeth ignored me. "I, Annabeth Chase, give you permission to enter camp!"

"No!" Percy cried. He was fighting one bull, but he still knew what was going on.

Tyson ran to Percy and pulled the bull off him, yelling, "Percy is in trouble!" He then wrestled both of the bulls and punched one in the snout, and they could no longer move.

"BAD COW!" Tyson yelled, throwing the metal carcasses around. Percy and I were astounded. Annabeth and Clara, not so much.

Percy ran to Tyson. "Are you okay? Tyson?"

But Tyson looked at Percy like everything was fine. I came closer. "You're….alive?"

"Of course he's alive! Have you two actually taken the time to look at his face? Beyond the Mist?" Annabeth asked, annoyed  
"Mist?" Percy asked confusedly.

"Look," Clara urged, and Annabeth nodded.

We looked, past the mouth, and onto the nose and eyes we had never seen before. No, not eyes. _Eye_. I gasped. If Hermione were here, she could tell me what, exactly, I was looking at. But she wasn't there, so I waited for Annabeth to explain.

"Tyson," she said, "is a Cyclops. And he seems to like you, Percy." She scowled.

"What's wrong with that?" Clara asked innocently.

"It's….it's nothing," Annabeth said embarrassedly. Clarisse was coming over to us.

"Jackson! Sanderson! you ruin _everything_!"

I was about to retort, but Clara nudged me with her foot. "Later," she whispered.

"It's nice to see you too, Clarisse," Annabeth said dully.

"I had it under control! All I really needed was Clarissa _Malfoy_ to come and act like the _hero_ or something and for _Jackson_ and _Sanderson_ to yell at me and endanger me more! Do you three have a _conspiracy_ against me?"

"You have wounded campers, Clarisse," I whispered. Clarisse could be a jerk, but she would always pay attention to her military duties. "And _don't_ use that name! Her name is _Bradley_! If you call her that _disgusting, belittling, horrid_ name again, I will personally escort you to Tartarus!"

"Wren, don't! You'll just make it worse. Anyway, we need to know what happened." She looked at Clarisse.

Did I mention last year on the _Andromeda Jean_ that Clara could keep her calm when Clarisse and I were about to kill each other?

Clarisse snarled. " _That_ happened." She pointed at Thalia's tree. "You four have been gone way too long."

We looked over at the tree. The needles were yellowing, and many had fallen off. We all looked at each other and gulped.

Someone had poisoned the tree, and I had a very good idea who.

* * *

"Come on, we have to get these kids up. And then I need to report you four to Tantalus, tell him we have many more of our campers here. Not that you can help much." Clarisse said gruffly, looking at Percy and Renee especially.

"Who's Tantalus?" Clara asked. All of this was so much to take in, and everything had changed so much since last summer. Not least being Thalia's tree.

"The activities director. Now come on."

"But Chiron is the activities director. And where's Argus?"

"Someone will explain everything soon," Clarisse snapped. "Now go away."

Percy and I didn't need telling twice, and Tyson ran after him. Reluctantly, Annabeth and Clara followed us.

I wanted to tell Clarisse that I didn't need the way she was treating me, not after this year at Hogwarts. She was one person I knew I could trust, and aside from Clara, Percy, Annabeth, Silena, Jade, Harry, and Ron, those people were rare in my life. It wasn't easy being a demigod and a witch. I guess I could add Ginny and Hermione, and maybe Gill, Sandra, and Luna, but I just wasn't sure with the way things had been this past year. This was too much to come home too.

We walked to the big house, not talking much. Well, except for Tyson.

"Wassat?"

"That's the horse stables. We have horses and pegasi here." Percy felt resigned to respond to his friend.

"Wassat?"

"Those are the toilets."

"Wassat?"

"That's the big house, where we're going. Come on, I'll show you."

Tyson grinned and clapped his hands. I stepped closer to Clara.

"Did you….know? About Tyson?"

"I suspected," she whispered. "I didn't believe Percy's insistence that he was mortal, that's for sure."

I nodded. "When did you become so sensible?"

Clara laughed. "When did you become so perceptive?"

I put my arm around my best friend, and we walked into the Big House.

* * *

 **Clara POV:**

I walked into the big house and something nearly killed me. "Clara! Rennie! You're safe!"

"Jade! You can't just run at us like that."

"I heard what happened, though. I actually thought I'd never see you again! Oh, Clara!"

I embraced Jade….Juniper. Yes, Juniper. I'd need to get used to calling her that. "How did you know?"

"Pomona. Even though she had a falling out with her mother and Chiron and Olympus, she was always very fond of the wood nymphs. Not that I ever knew her personally, of course, but she and my mother were close. I mean, she was counselor of the Demeter cabin when she was here, and head girl of Hufflepuff to boot. She keeps in touch with us, and who knows who else."

"Wait, what happened with Sprout and Olympus?"

Juniper blushed. She looked really sick when her green skin turned red. "She never told you? Oh gods, then I've said too much."

"It's okay. If she didn't tell us, there must have been an important reason."

Juniper smiled, her face now plain green. "Good. Well, then, Chiron had been hoping to see you four before he left. He's in his apartments."

"He is?" Annabeth squealed. "Clarisse made it sound like he'd been gone for ages! I'll kill her!"

At this, Juniper glanced at Renee and me. "We need time to talk, Renee, Clara. You can tell me everything, and I'll tell you everything that's been going on here. I'm getting worried about Grover, he hasn't Iris-messaged in a while.

I gasped. I hadn't told anyone about my dream. And Renee had called me sensible just a minute before. Then again, it was the same day, technically. But Percy said, "Juniper, I need to tell you something," and I wondered if he had had the dream too. "But I need to go see Chiron first. We could be wasting time."

Juniper nodded. "See you guys at dinner?"

"Yeah, of course," Renee said. Annabeth was beckoning us forward.

"Come on, we're wasting time!"

We nodded and followed her.

* * *

Annabeth threw herself at Chiron. "Annabeth!" The centaur was happy to see her.

"Pony!" Tyson clapped his hands, and Chiron looked up, affronted. Then he realized who had just spoken. He looked at us questioningly.

"He's my friend," Percy said indignantly. "And I only found out that he was a cyclops, like, half an hour ago."

Chiron nodded, and Annabeth smiled sadly. "You're not….leaving?"

"Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he made from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned. Mr. D had to find someone to blame."

"Besides himself, you mean," Percy growled.

I remembered Mr. D. and scowled at the thought. He loved to mix up our names and insult us. He was Dionysus, and he was here as punishment by Zeus for something, I couldn't remember what. To him, Percy was Peter Johnson, Annabeth was Annie Bell, Renee was Rain Sanders, and I was Claire Bailey. Yet he always seemed to remember Clarisse's name.

"But this is crazy!" Annabeth yelled furiously. "You couldn't have had anything to do with the poisoning of Thalia's tree."

"Be that as it may, there are many in Olympus that do not trust me now, under the current circumstances. And if the council of gods wish me to step aside, then of course I will."

Renee looked at Chiron as if she were waiting for something more, but that was all Chiron said. He frowned, stuffing a Latin-American dictionary in his saddlebag.

"Pony?" Tyson asked, still staring in amazement and this time, Chiron was prepared.

"My dear Cyclops, I am a _centaur_."

Something had been bothering me. "Chiron," I asked, "what about the tree?"

"Thalia's tree was poisoned with something from the darkest depths of the underworld, I would have no idea how to even understand a substance that dark."

"So it must have been Kronos," Percy blurted.

"Don't invoke the titan lord's name. Not here, not now."

I exchanged a glance with Renee. Sounded like someone else we knew.

"But it would have had to be him! Maybe he did it through Luke, I don't know," Percy continued. Annabeth frowned.

"Besides, Chiron," Renee said, and I braced myself for her biting wit, "fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself."

"Who told you that?"

"A Hogwarts professor by the name of Pomona Sprout." I knew that was a lie, it was something Dumbledore always said, not Sprout. I expected she had just done that to get a rise out of Chiron.

"Don't talk to me about Pomona. She left this camp, and she knows something, I can tell you that. She doesn't belong here. As for you, _stay at camp_! Annabeth, make sure they do, especially Percy."

"Why me?"

"I asked your mother not to send you this year. Percy, things are bad. I hope Tantalus and Mr. D don't ruin the camp, but I have to go."

"Where will you go?"

"I'll join my cousins in the Everglades. The Party Ponies."

We nodded, numb. "I need to go," Chiron said again. "Stay safe."

"But Chiron, the camp will be destroyed!" Renee yelled. "Is there no way to cure the tree?"

"There is a way. But….no. It's too dangerous. I need to leave. I'm sorry. Annabeth, you're in charge, okay? Of these three, I mean. I'll see you again, once this is cleared up."

And with that, he walked out of the room.

* * *

The dinner bell rang. I hadn't realized it was getting so late. "You're sitting with me tonight, Renee, no exceptions. I'm not putting you through those Aphrodite types."

"Thanks, Clara, but you know Mr. D wouldn't allow it. And we have the new guy to watch out for as well."

"We'll make it work. I promise."

"I do want to see Silena, though."

"Okay. How about this? You eat with them, and you sleep with me."

"Clara, no. I've dealt with Kaylee, you really think I can't handle Drew's crew?"

"Okay, fine, but be careful."

The twelve tables were set out as usual. Nothing had changed; everything had.

Annabeth came first, leading the Athena cabin. No one questioned her right to lead; she had been at camp longer than anyone. Next was Clarisse with the Ares cabin. Someone had stuck a sticker that said, "You moo girl!" on her back, but nobody bothered to tell her about it. I was almost going to help her, but then I remembered how she had treated Renee.

Renee's cabin was next, with Silena at the lead and Renee close behind her. Then was our cabin. Will embraced me when he saw me.

"Clara! Juniper told me everything, we're so glad you're safe. I noticed my cabin had a few more additions. Two girls, who must have been twins, were sitting and whispering about something. They were redheads, like Ginny, and they were quite small. Will followed my gaze.

"Ruby, Diamond, come over here, I'd like you to meet our sister Clara Bradley."

The girls waved. "Ruby and Diamond are really shy," Will whispered to me. "They're eight, and they could use a guiding figure, and they won't talk to anyone but each other. Kind of like you and Renee when you first got here."

"Renee and I were never….okay, fine. I guess so, but how would you know? We were on our quest from the moment Wren woke up."

"True, but I could tell."

I giggled.

We sat down, and I realized I wasn't that hungry. "I'll take a slab of marble cake and a hot chocolate."

"Clara, it's the beginning of July. There's no way you actually want that."

"Watch me. Make that two hot chocolates," I said to my plate. Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew laughed.

"I bet you ten Drachmas you can't make it," Michael taunted

"I'd make it twenty-five."

I looked at my plate. They really did set themselves up for this one, and it made me feel more hungry. "And a steak tortilla with spicy salsa and guac with tamales."

"We'll make it fifty between us. It's sweltering out here." Will fanned himself and mimed taking off his shirt.

"You're getting in on this too, huh? Well, fifty isn't divisible by three. I guess I just need to add the flaming hot slice of pizza, right off the griddle."

"Sixty if you can get through all that before it gets cold, and without throwing up afterward."

"Deal."

This might have been fun, if Mr. D. hadn't started talking.

* * *

Percy led Tyson into the pavilion, and immediately there were whispers. All heads turned.

"Who invited _that_?" One of my siblings who I didn't know very well whispered.

"Hey, be nice," I said to them.

"Well if it isn't _Peter Johnson._ My millennium is complete. And that must mean that _Rain Sanders_ and _Claire Bailey_ have shown up as well. Perfect." I was just _thrilled_ to see Mr. D

I glanced over at the Aphrodite table, where Renee looked ready to kill. She stood up. "Actually, my friends are _Percy Jackson_ and _Clara Bradley_ , and I'm _Renee Sanderson_ ," she said icily.

"Well, as kids like to say these days, _whatever_." Mr D. rolled his eyes. He was wearing his usual Hawaiian leopard print shirt and looking like a tourist lost in Vegas. Next to him was a skinny man who I recognized from my mythology books, but couldn't place. I grimaced, he was in Chiron's spot.

"You need to watch Johnson and Bailey, you know. All they do is cause trouble. None of their friends are good news either."

" _Excuse_ me? You will _not_ talk about Clara Bradley like that!"

"Little Sanders has grown feisty, hasn't she?"

If I could use my wand I would. I would curse them all into oblivion. Like that spell Lockhart almost used on Renee. But I was getting ahead of myself again.

Dionysus snapped his fingers, and a newspaper appeared. It must have been about Percy's adventure that day. I rolled my eyes.

"And Claire here, she can't keep her mouth shut. She made it so much worse for Clarisse, and for Johnson last year."

"She did not, _sir_. She saved my life, Luke would have killed me. Come on, Tyson, let's go eat."

"The monster stays here, and we will determine how to _deal_ with him."

"No!"

Renee was the one who couldn't shut her mouth, not me.

"Johnson has seen fit to bring this _thing_ here. Why, we do not know, but the monster eats with us."

Percy groaned, and Tantalus laughed along with the Ares cabin. I pulled out my wand. Even though there were no weapons allowed at the table, nobody except Renee, Percy, Annabeth, Silena, and Will knew that the wands actually were weapons, and I trusted my friends to keep my secret. I was still scarfing the hot food and laughing silently, but I was worried Percy and Renee would make harsh, irreversible decisions. Still, sixty drachmas was a lot, especially since Harry might need them, and I could use them at the camp store. But I was a Hufflepuff, so I was torn.

"And now," Mr. D. said evilly, "I would like to introduce the new activities director, Tantalus."

The thin man grinned and spoke to his plate. "A hamburger with a diet coke, please."

Percy went to sit down, and I glanced sadly at Tyson, all alone with Mr. D. and Tantalus, but then I noticed something strange. As Tantalus reached for his food, it scurried away from him.

"I know who you are! You're that guy who Zeus punished by not being able to eat or drink anything, but you live by a river and a fruit tree!"

Will kicked me. I guess I did talk too much sometimes.

* * *

The meal was over, and I had won the bet. "I'll take thirty drachmas each from you, you, and you," I said, pointing at Lee, Michael, and Will in turn. They were staring at me open mouthed.

"Do they not feed you at that school?" Lee asked, laughing.

"No, they totally do. I just wanted you all to see I could do it." I smirked triumphantly.

"We can't give you the money until tomorrow morning," Will reminded me. "The last condition I added is that you don't get sick."

I fake-pouted at my brothers. "Okay. But I won't be sick." I was determined.

Tantalus banged on his still-full coke can. It only got the attention of a few, but he started talking anyway.

"Attention, attention. It was a great meal, or so I am told. Anyway a few announcements, and then to bed with you.

"First, we are reinstating the chariot races." I had no idea what that meant, but there were gasps from all twelve tables. "Now, I know that those were cancelled due to injuries, but just know that the winning team gets off chores for a week." Tantalus looked around, expecting to get applause. Some campers clapped, most did not.

"But sir," said the most unlikely voice anywhere, "those are more than dangerous. It wasn't just injuries, there were all types of deaths involved in the most recent ones."

"Ah, Clarisse La Rue, the one who singlehandedly stopped the bulls this afternoon." The Ares cabin grinned and clapped her on the back, laughing at the "You moo, girl!" sticker on her back.

"I didn't singlehandedly…."

"Ah, and modest as well. There's no need to worry. You will be fine, girls and boys."

Clarisse looked like she was going to protest, but Tantalus was speaking again. "Now, as for what to do about the monster…." He indicated Tyson. "We could put him in the stables."

"No," Silena piped up. "That would scare the horses."

Mr. D. nodded. "The girl is right. We could dispose of him, I guess."

"Dispose?" Percy and Renee roared at the same time. "No!"

"We could…." But at that moment, it became very clear what they were going to do with Tyson. There was a flash of blue light, and a trident appeared over the young cyclops.

"Well, well, well. Looks like you've got yourself a roommate, Johnson," Mr. D. said quietly.

* * *

 _ **A/N: How did you like the first Sea of Monsters chapter? How was my second-ever action scene with the bulls?**_

 _ **So I need advice. I don't know what I should make the fatal flaws for Renee and Clara. Thoughts?**_ **Next chapter will probably be a bit of a filler, although I'm not sure. Thanks for reading, and please review.**

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	29. Tantalus Ruins Everything!

**Clara POV**

It felt nice to be back in my bed at Camp Half-Blood and know that I would be getting sixty drachmas from my brothers. But as I'd come to learn, good things never last.

Tantalus was being a jerk and making Percy's life a living hell, and I refused to let Renee charmspeak him out of it.

"Percy can deal with it, Wren." But I knew she was really annoyed with the Aphrodite cabin, except for Silena, so I tried to let her be. Instead, we discussed the chariot races and the state of the camp at length. Renee had hinted that Silena was going to use pegasi. She had asked Renee to be her second member, but Renee had declined, and Silena was forced to take Drew.

As for me, I wasn't going to be riding either. My parents would hate that I disobeyed them so soon.

At night, I did border patrol with Percy and some of the other campers. Even though Tantalus insisted that the camp was safe, the cabins had worked out a schedule for the different cabins, and I was always at night. It got pretty boring at times, but it was always nice to talk to Percy.

One night, he surprised me. I had started the conversation.

"Percy, how are things with Tyson? Do you need any help with your feelings?" I had suspected that Annabeth and he had gotten into an argument that afternoon, which made me really upset. I hated it when my friends fought.

"No, no, I could never ask you….you saved my life, Clara. I never even thanked you properly."

I gasped. "Percy, you think I need any thanks for that? I was helping a friend, it wouldn't have been any different if it were Clarisse! Or Drew, even. It's in my nature."

"Really? I mean, I thought so, but I don't know. I didn't know you then."

"So? Percy, tell me what's wrong. Tell me why this is so hard on you."

"It's just….I feel like being Poseidon's son is some big joke. Like he did this just to embarrass me, as if I needed it more."

"Did I ever tell you about my half-brother? On my wizard side?"

"You've only been a witch for one year. And Annabeth never tells me about your correspondence."

"Well, his name is Draco Malfoy, and he's the worst. I mean, he and some others are in the same house as Renee, and they're the ones who made Ginny say that all Slytherins are bad. This will get better, okay?"

"Thanks, Clara."

"Any time."

It was time for us to switch shifts. Percy and I walked back to the cabins. "You're really helpful, Clara," Percy said before going in.

* * *

" _Clara? Percy? Can you hear me?" He sounded frantic. And that's when I realized what he was wearing._

 _Yes, the satyr, Grover, Percy Jackson's best friend, was wearing a wedding dress. I saw him clearly, as if in a movie in front of me. But somewhere in my peripheral vision, Percy was there too._

" _Thank the gods, I can see you. Can you hear me?"_

 _My dream self was slow to respond, but Percy beat me to the punch. "Grover? We can hear you, what's going on?"_

" _Honeypie? Are you done yet? It's been two weeks, hasn't it?" A voice roared in the background. I shuddered._

" _Not quite, dearest. A few more days!"_

" _Five more days!"_

" _No, no, I need two weeks, so seven more days."_

" _Okay. That's less than five, right?"_

" _Yes, dearest." The other voice faded out._

" _Grover, what's going on?" I demanded._

" _You have to help me! No time! I'm stuck in this island cave-"_

" _Where?"_

" _I don't know. I went to Florida and turned left!"_

" _You got to a bridal boutique," I remembered. "And then what?"_

 _Grover looked slightly happier at this news. "So you got my first empathy link?"_

" _What?"_

" _Clara, it's a trap. Satyrs come here looking for Pan, and they get attracted to the strong nature scent because_ it's _here! They come, and then Polyphemus traps and eats them!"_

" _Grover, you're not making sense. Where are you?" Percy asked. "And Poly who?"_

" _Polyphemus, the Cyclops Odysseus fought. Percy, Clara, I have to go. The cyclops thinks I'm a lady one of its kind, he thinks I'm wearing goat-scented perfume. Odysseus blinded him, so he can't tell. But there's something you should know. I have empathy links with both of you. That's how I can communicate with you. So if I die…."_

" _We die? Grover, that's hardly fair!"_

" _Percy, shut up. Hear him out!"_

" _Well, you might live in a coma for the rest of your life, but yeah. You'll probably die. You_ have _to come rescue me!"_

" _Why was I put on this, Grover? I get Percy, but you barely know me!"_

" _You saved Percy's life last year. Also, you're a Hufflepuff, and Pomona told Willowmist all about Hufflepuffs before she left! And she told Juniper, who told me."_

" _Who's Willowmist? And what happened with Pomona?"_

" _Juniper's mother. And I can't tell you, Clara! I don't know. Nobody does except for Willowmist, and Pomona made her swear on the Styx. Listen, I have to go, but rescue me!"_

* * *

I woke up suddenly, banging my head against the wall. Luckily, my siblings didn't notice. I would have to check with Percy in the morning, if he had had this dream too, then it was beyond real, and we could die at any moment. I couldn't fall back asleep, so I waited for someone else to get up. It was already getting light out, and maybe I could get to see Dad's golden sun chariot today. I had never seen it, but Will said it was amazing.

I went over to the window and heard a soft cough. I looked around, and it was Ruby, one of the twins Will had introduced me to. She was wide awake.

"Clara, right?" She whispered. She beckoned me over. "Look out the window."

I stared as the sun came up, and behind it, there was a gigantic chariot, as big as Hogwarts. It was shaped like a cow and so dazzlingly golden I had to shield my eyes.

"I've been watching him every day," Ruby whispered to me. "I can't believe people don't get up for this. And do mortals really never see him? They just think the sun does it all by itself?"

"I guess so," I said, finally able to regain my voice after the breathtaking sight.

"Do you think Daddy will ever let me ride with him?" The question threw me off guard.

"Um….I don't know, I'm not sure. What's your Apollo power?" Nearly all my brothers and sisters had them. Apollo had the highest range of talents that got passed onto his offspring. Will was a healer, Lee and Michael were poets (although bad ones), and some others were very good singers. And of course, we all are good with archery. But as far as I knew, I was the only one who could summon sunbeams at will.

Apparently, however, I had said the wrong thing. The little girl frowned, and I could see tears sparkling in her eyes. "I don't know, Clara. Diamond is always gloating over me, she could sing like a siren since we were three. So now she knows hers. But I don't think I have one."

"You'll figure it out."

Ruby smiled up at me, and I felt good. "Clara?"

"Yeah?"

"Which cabins are the ones to watch out for?"

"Um…." that was an odd question. "Well, there are many _people_ to watch out for. I don't know about any cabins in particular. Like, Silena and Renee from the Aphrodite cabin are really nice, but Drew and her friends are not. And Clarisse is sometimes nice."

"Why does Percy's cabin only have him, and now Tyson?"

I couldn't believe Will hadn't told her any of this. "Percy is a son of the Big Three, which are Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Do you know the story of Kronos?"

"Um….I think so. He's the guy who ate his children, the gods? Except for Zeus?"

"Exactly. Well ever since then, the Big Three have never really gotten along. I believe the rumor is that it caused World War Two."

"Really?" The young girl looked frightened.

"Yeah. So anyway, the Big Three agreed not to have children after that. But Poseidon broke the promise. Well, Zeus did too."

"Thalia?"

"Thalia. The tree we need to save. I think there might be like, a great prophecy about any child of the Big Three, but I'm not sure. Chiron and Annabeth won't tell anyone."

Ruby nodded. Others were starting to get up.

"Ruby! You got up without me again!"

"You hate to wake up early, Di."

Diamond pouted. "You woke _her_ up."

"I didn't, she got up herself!"

There was a frantic knock at the door, and I had a feeling I knew who it would be. I left Ruby and Diamond to their bickering to go and answer it.

"Clara! I was hoping it would be you! Can you come out for a sec?"

"Yeah," I said, my heart sinking. If Percy was here this early, then there could only be one reason.

"Was I dreaming last night," Percy wondered when we got out into the sunshine, "or was Grover engaged to a Cyclops?"

I met his eyes and nodded.

"Aww man. I have to tell Annabeth, I guess."

Will came out then. "You two need to go get ready for the chariot races. Well, you do, Percy. Clara, you should get ready for the day."

"Oh crap, those are today?"

Will laughed nervously. "Yeah. Good luck, Percy."

"Thank you, and you as well."

* * *

As we walked towards the woods, there was a chorus of pigeons. They weren't quite cooing, more like a metallic screeching. I wasn't sure why, but they made me nervous. I sat over by Renee and watched as the cabins showed their displays one by one.

The racetrack was stationed between the archery range and the woods, and I didn't like being that close to the birds. The Hephaestus cabin had plowed the fields with the metal bulls, which were perfectly tame after Tyson's work. There were stone bleachers set up for the spectators, and Juniper joined us. Oh man, I had so many questions for that girl, most of them starting with, "why."

"Right," Tantalus announced as the teams assembled. "Well, you know the rules. Twice around the track. Two horses and two riders. One fighter and one driver. Weapons are allowed. Dirty tricks are expected. But try not to kill anyone. Otherwise, no s'mores at the campfire for a week."

I frowned. That wasn't a punishment worthy of killing.

The Hephaestus team walked out first. Their driver was Charles Beckendorf, and their fighter was his second in command, Jake Mason. All of their chariot was made of metal, including their horses. I clapped as the horses snorted fire.

Next was Clarisse's, which was bloodred and made me kind of sick to look at. She was the fighter, and Mark was their driver.

Ours was next. It was fully gold and sparkled in the light. We used to Palominos, and they sparkled with the Chariot. Will was the driver, Lee was the fighter.

The Hermes chariot looked plain, but I knew they had some tricks up their sleeves, and it was manned by the Stoll brothers.

Demeter's cabin, led by Katie Gardner and Walter Kann, had a chariot that would have made Sprout proud. I noticed Percy and Annabeth arguing about something below, and realized he was probably trying to tell her. I wanted to tell Renee, but I couldn't do it without letting Juniper know, and I didn't want to do that then.

As Percy and Annabeth finally walked onto the track, I noticed the birds getting louder. There seemed to be many more of them.

The race began, and the first chariot to go was ours, which was attacked by the Hermes chariot. Our horses got confused and charged the Hermes chariot, and that made the pegasi from the Aphrodite chariot go beserk. They flew up, knocking Silena and Drew off in the process. It was chaos from there, and I couldn't watch. All I knew was that soon, Percy, Annabeth, and Clarisse were contesting for the lead. And then only Clarisse was still on the track. Everyone else was running. I pulled out my wand and summoned my bow and arrows. The birds were attacking.

Annabeth and Percy had disappeared, and they came back with Chiron's boombox. Will called to me, and I went over to join the rest of my siblings, Renee at my heels.

"Archers! Now!" Annabeth yelled, and we fired our arrows at the birds. Renee waved her wand, yelling spells. Within minutes, all the birds were down, but the wreckage wasn't pretty.

"Bravo, bravo!" Tantalus yelled, but he was looking at Clarisse. "We have a winner for the first race!" Then he turned and looked at Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, Renee, and me. "And now to punish the troublemakers who started this mess."

According to Tantalus, the birds had been minding their own business when Annabeth, Percy, and Tyson disrupted them with their bad chariot driving. To make matters worse, Renee and I had "pulled out your sticks and pointed them at the birds, you could have taken someone's eye out, they were already threatened enough."

Renee and Percy blew up at Tantalus. Renee threatened to hex his ears off, while Percy yelled, "go chase a donut" repeatedly.

The five of us were sentenced to dishwashing, which is the worst of all the Camp Half-Blood chores. We had to wear heavy gloves as we plunged our hands into the lava to wash the plates for the big banquet that we had had at lunch to celebrate Clarisse. The only good thing was, it gave us time to talk to Annabeth and Renee about the dream.

"If he's really found it," Annabeth murmured, "and if we could retrieve it…."

"What is this 'it?'" Percy asked, but by then I had figured it out.

"Annabeth, you think he's found….the Golden Fleece?"

Annabeth nodded. "Percy, remember the Gray Sisters? They said they know the location of the thing you seek, and they mentioned Jason. You _do_ know about Jason and the Argonauts, don't you?"

"That old movie with the clay skeletons?"

"Percy!" The three of us yelled together. "You are _so_ hopeless," Annabeth continued.

"What?"

"The _real_ story," she said, rolling her eyes, "is this. There were these two children of Zeus, Cadmus and Europa, okay? And they were about to be offered as human sacrifices, so they prayed to Zeus to save them. So Zeus sent this magical flying ram with golden wool, which picked them up in Greece and carried them all the way to Colchis in Asia Minor. Well actually, it carried Cadmus. Europa fell off and died along the way, but that's not important."

"I bet it was important to Europa," Renee interjected, and Percy gave her a high five. I rolled my eyes, some of my friends were _so_ immature.

I knew the story of the Fleece well enough to continue. " _Anyway_ , when Cadmus got to Colchis, he sacrificed the ram to the gods and hung the fleece up in a tree. The Fleece brought prosperity to that part of Turkey, and they had great crop supply for years to come and plagues never visited. That's why Jason wanted it. It could cure sickness, revitalize land, clean pollution, strengthen nature, basically just-"

"So it could cure Thalia's tree."

Annabeth and I both nodded. "But Percy, the Fleece has been missing for centuries, no hero has found it since Jason."

"But Grover did. He went looking for Pan and instead he found the Fleece because they both radiate nature magic."

"But Percy," Renee said, speaking up for the first time, aside from her Europa comment, "what if it's a trap? I mean, we were both tricked by Kronos on our quests last year. He could easily do it again."

Percy thought for just a moment. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"Well, Percy," Annabeth said quietly, glancing at Tyson to make sure he wasn't listening, "we'd have to fight a cyclops. The worst of them, Polyphemus. And there's only one place his island could be."

I caught on right away. "The Sea of Monsters."

Renee seemed to get it. "The Mediterranean?"

"Well yes but….no," Annabeth said.

"Another straight answer from Wise Girl," Percy said, and he and Renee high-fived again.

"Okay, what is with your snark, you two? Anyway, the Sea of Monsters has shifted with Western Civilization, just like the rest of Olympus."

"But you'd have to be crazy not to notice a whole sea full of monsters, even a mortal would-"

"Oh, mortals do notice things. Shipwrecks and plane crashes. They even have a name for it."

"The Bermuda Triangle. Then we know where to look."

"Well, not exactly, Percy. It's a big place. And we'll need to get a quest from Tantalus, and _that's_ likely to happen."

"Yeah….I guess." Percy was disappointed.

I suddenly got an idea. "But we could talk to him at the bonfire tonight, where everyone would be watching. Then he'll _have_ to say yes."

* * *

That night, our cabin led the sing-along. Or, we tried to, at any rate. Nobody was in high spirits. We all knew what could happen to the camp if Tantalus kept on leading.

We did all the standard camp numbers, like "This Land is Minos' Land," "Down by the Aegean," and "Pop Goes the Hellhound," but the enchanted bonfire never rose. See, it was enchanted to rise with the feelings of the singers, and on a good night I had seen it twenty feet high and bright purple. Tonight, it was a regular-sized campfire the color of lint.

When we were finished, Tantalus clapped. "Now, a few announcements about tomorrow's schedule."

This was our time to speak. Percy stood first. "Sir," he said calmly, giving Renee a warning look. I could tell that it meant, "don't do anything you would regret." That, coming from Percy….wow.

"Our kitchen boy has something to say?"

There were some snickers from the Ares cabin, but Percy continued strongly. First, though, he looked at Annabeth, Renee, and me. We stood up and went over to him.

"We have an idea to save the camp," Percy continued.

"Well, if it has anything to do with chariots-"

"Will you shut up about chariots for just a second? What Percy was _trying_ to say was, we need the Golden Fleece." Sometimes, I surprised even myself.

"We think we know where it is," Percy added.

The flames burned orange, and Percy gave the rundown of the dream without giving Tantalus time to stop him.

"The fleece could cure Thalia's tree," I reminded everyone. "It could strengthen the borders and everything."

There was applause from the campers.

"For the last time," Tantalus said, annoyed, "the camp does _not_ need saving!"

Everyone stared at him. "Sir," Annabeth said, as polite as she could, "we want to ask you to issue a quest."

"No-" Tantalus started, but the whole camp had taken up the cheer. "We need a quest! We need a quest! We need a quest!"

Campers were standing up, and the counselors aside from Percy and Annabeth were all looking pointedly at Tantalus, arranged in a little group.

"Quiet! You wouldn't even know where to look!"

"Yes we would, it's in the Sea of Monsters, the Bermuda Triangle," I said.

"Well, that's hardly an exact location."

"We have something better," Renee said. I looked at Annabeth, and she shrugged. "30, 31, 75, 12! I don't know what it means, but it's some sort of location."

"Thank you for those very meaningless numbers, Sanderson."

"No, sir, they're sailing coordinates," Percy said, seeming to have just figured it out. Annabeth nodded, impressed. I still didn't really get it.

"30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. Where did you learn that?"

"Um….in social studies." Percy seemed hesitant to say in front of Tantalus, but I figured it was a Poseidon thing.

"Well then, the quest shall go to our best camper, to the girl who has saved the camp twice in two days, Clarisse La Rue."

There was silence, except for the Ares cabin, who broke into cheers. "Well, Clarisse, you know the rules. Two other campers if you accept the quest.

"Wait!" Percy shouted over the cheering. "Grover is my friend. The dream came to Clara and me! We should-"

Clarisse glared and interrupted him. "I, Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, accept the quest to save the camp!"

"No!" Renee screamed.

"You had your shot. Clarisse needs to _lead_ a quest!" Someone said.

"Aww, is the widdle babwy upset that she doesn't get anwother adventwure?" Drew mocked.

Renee could be a jerk at times, but I remembered the last time at Hogwarts when she had been in the hospital wing. My best friend could be much more fragile than she acted.

"Shut up, Drew Tanaka! Shut UP!" Like I said, I surprised myself sometimes. I pulled out my wand. "Shut up!"

"Clara," Renee charmspeaked, "stop. She's not worth it."

"Oh, fine then. But she insults you regularly! She's your sister!" I whisper-yelled.

"Did the other widdle babwy have a bad dweam and think it was rweal?" Drew taunted. Silena came over to her, and Renee and I stepped away from the commotion.

Now, people were taking sides in what seemed like it was going to be a full-fledged s'more war until Tantalus yelled, "Silence, you brats!"

At that point, Renee grabbed my hand, and we ran all the way to the Apollo cabin, where we would be safe from Tantalus and the taunting.

"Renee Sanderson, get your things. You're staying here tonight!" Renee nodded, and squeezed my hand.

"I don't want to see Drew Tanaka ever again! I don't want to! I don't want to!"

"I'm sorry, Renee. Here's some ambrosia and nectar, sit down and calm yourself with those. This bed's open, here, next to mine. Sit down. I'll go get your stuff. It will be okay, I swear."

Renee nodded, and I left to the Aphrodite cabin, hoping I could avoid Renee's sisters for the time being.

When I got there, I left a note on Silena's bed, so that she would understand. I gathered up Renee's stuff and left quickly.

I would do the best I could to help my best friend at all costs.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So there's the next chapter. I want to develop a theme of Renee having emotional episodes, to show her as a multi-layered person. Also, I want to establish this relationship between Clara Bradley and Percy Jackson that is the same as for Harry Potter and Renee Sanderson. Neither pair should be at all romantic, but they are these boy-girl relationship that just**_ **get** _**each other.**_

 _ **How do you like Clara's smarts and knowledge coming out? Let me know.**_

 _ **Also, for readers of**_ _ **Love Letters to my Roommate**_ _ **, I feel like I am getting nowhere with the story, even though I just started, I might need a break. It's not really shaping up to be what I thought it was. Let me know if you have any ideas for this, I am really not sure where to go. Thanks.**_

 _ **As always, please review!**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	30. Leaving Without Permission

**Clara POV**

I woke up in the middle of the night and looked around. Renee was asleep, but _someone_ wasn't in her bed.

"Ruby," I whispered. "Go back to sleep."

"I can't, Clara, I'm having bad dreams about the harpies. Not, like, _dreams_ or anything, I'm just scared."

"The harpies won't bother you, Ruby. I promise."

" _You_ weren't there. You didn't hear him."

"Who? Tantalus? What did he do now?"

"He said he would have the harpies to enforce curfew."

"Dang, really?"

"I think."

"I'm sorry."

"After you left, he told a scary story about some god or something. I guess I forget."

"Good. I'm glad you forget. Why don't I tell you a better story to help you fall asleep."

"Okay."

"Okay. Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in a big castle with her friends. They learned there and studied there, and they played games and wrote in a journal together. But one day, the girl fell into a deep sleep."

Ruby looked at me strangely. "This girl doesn't get saved by a boy, does she? Because that's gross. And boring."

"No, quite the opposite." I smiled. "So, in her sleep, the girl was taken to a snake's lair to be killed. But the killer was really hoping to meet the girl's best friend."

Ruby shuddered. "Are you sure this is a happy story?"

"Positive. Can I keep going?"

"Of course."

"Okay. So the girl's best friend was not afraid of snakes, so she came down to the lair to save the girl. Or maybe she was afraid, but her best friend mattered more. So she came down to the chamber, and she pulled a magical sword from a hat. Together with some friends, the best friend killed the snake and got rid of the bad guys. And the girl woke up."

"Did they live happily ever after?" Ruby asked sleepily.

"I don't know. But both girls are safe, and in fact, they are in this very room."

"You? Which one were you? I bet you were the best friend."

"Actually, I was the hurt girl. Well, we were both hurt, but you know what I mean."

"Who was your friend?"

I pointed at the girl on the bed next to me, and Ruby frowned. "She's not supposed to be here."

"No, but she didn't want to see Drew tonight. I figured I owed her that."

"Yeah. Do you think Diamond would ever do that for me?"

"Definitely."

The younger girl smiled and closed her eyes, her strawberry-blonde bangs covering her face.

"Goodnight, Clara."

"Night, Ruby."

Now I was having trouble sleeping. I decided to take a walk by the ocean, even though I knew the harpies were a threat. It was strange, because I never went to the ocean. But I felt like something was waiting for me there.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

I woke up suddenly, disoriented. The walls weren't pink here, and I definitely wasn't in my four-poster in the Slytherin dorms either.

Then, I remembered. Clarisse, the quest, Drew, Clara….Clara! I was in the Apollo cabin. And she wasn't. I would need to look for her.

I put on my shoes quickly and snuck out, hoping nobody would see me. Thankfully, I was able to slip out unnoticed.

The first thing I heard was Annabeth's voice, from somewhere closer to her cabin. "Percy, where are you?"

"Annabeth?" I asked. "Annabeth? Clara?"

"Percy!" said a different voice.

"Tyson?"

"Annabeth?"

I heard a sound like something big was moving through the trees, stepping on branches. "No, Tyson, I'm right here, it's Renee."

Tyson started to run. "Stay there, Tyson, you'll make too much noise. I'm coming."

"Percy?" Annabeth called

"I knew I heard Annabeth. Renee, Percy left."

"I gathered. Clara did too."

"We will find them."

"Yes. Come on. Clara, Percy, where are you?"

"Percy?" Annabeth sounded further away now.

"Come on, let's follow her voice. Percy? Clara?"

"Renee?" She appeared three feet in front of us.

"Curse you and your stupid hat, Annabeth. Where's Percy and Clara?"

"I don't know. Is Clara gone too?"

"Yep."

"I'll scout ahead, invisible. You two follow behind. I bet he went to the sea. And hopefully Clara's there too."

I nodded. We walked into the clearing, where Annabeth yelled, "I found them!"

"Are you sure?"

"Have you ever noticed Clara's hair glows in the dark?" Strangely, I actually hadn't. "That's them."

I nodded. Percy and Clara looked up. They looked like they'd been in a heated discussion, and I felt a twinge of jealousy. Apparently, Annabeth did too, because she looked at them in disgust.

"Clara! What in Hades….?"

"Percy? What the hell?" Annabeth and I were almost in sync.

"Percy, you left me!"

"Clara! _You_ left _me_!"

"We have to go, the harpies will be here any second."

"Harpies, Percy? And go where? And what are those for?" I had just noticed the duffel bags.

"Just….grab one, and let's go. Hermes said you two could sunbeam, and he said Dad would help the three of us."

"I tried to tell him, I can't sunbeam in dark-"

But a beam had, apparently, picked her up. She reached for my hand and I took it. "You underestimate yourself, Clara. Like, a lot."

"You think so?"

"Duh. This is nice. I've never taken a sunbeam before."

"There will be more. Once I've learned to master it, we could travel to Hogwarts this way."

I laughed. "Hey, look. Percy and his, um….I don't remember what they are, they're traveling to that boat. I guess we should follow them."

"I can't turn. I don't know how." Clara was suddenly panicked.

"Yes, you can. You didn't think you could sunbeam at night, but you could. What's a simple turn? I'd say lean left."

Clara nodded and leaned, and I did too. I spotted Tyson's water horse doing flips in the water and pointed it out to Clara, and I guess she was feeling ambitious, because she leaned further left. "Lean right, Wren. Let's see what this will do."

Soon we were laughing and splashing the water. I guess we realized that was the last fun we'd have in a while.

We landed by the ship, and Annabeth frowned at us. "Come on. We don't have time for this. Or _that_."

She pointed. Tyson was getting emotional about leaving his-hippocampus, that's what they were called! "Bye, Rainbow. Percy, why can't Rainbow come with us?" Tyson said tearfully. I rolled my eyes.

"Tyson," I said. "Rainbow, well, he can't…."

"Climb ladders," Percy said as a rickety rope ladder appeared off the boat."

"He could go with Clara and Renee." He looked at us pleadingly.

"Sorry, Tyson. Maybe you'll see him again sometime."

" _That's_ the Hufflepuff I know and love," I joked.

"Shut up."

* * *

As we ascended the ladder, I noticed something amiss. The ship's name was written, but like Clara, I was somewhat dyslexic, so it took me a minute to understand.

I didn't think I liked ships very much after last year, but this one seemed way too much like the _Andromeda Jean_. A minute later, I was able to read the sign, and I realized why.

"Clara, this ship is the _Princess Andromeda_. I have to admit I'm feeling a little singled out," I whispered.

She gripped my hand. "You fought a giant snake. It will be okay."

The ship was almost completely empty as we got on. "I don't like this. This is a ghost ship, I'm sure of it," Annabeth said.

Tyson shook his head. "No. Bad smell."

"I don't smell anything."

"Annabeth, Cyclopes have heightened sense of smell. Isn't that right?" I looked at Tyson.

"Yes."

"Well, what is it?" Annabeth demanded.

"Something bad."

" _That_ clears things up."

I rolled my eyes and tried to take in the ship. There were many entertaining things, like a climbing wall, a mini golf, and a full-fledged water park. It made me sick and reminded me of the Lotus Casino Cruise Branch. And yet there was no sign of life anywhere.

And yet there was something dangerous and familiar here too. It kind of reminded me of going into the chamber as well.

"We should find a place to hide and sleep," Clara said after a while. We nodded. It would be easier to figure this place out in the morning.

There was an empty suite on the ninth floor. Luckily, it had two bedrooms. I was surprised to see the door was open. There were chocolates and mints in a bowl on the table, and sparkling cider in a glass bottle.

We opened the duffel bags and found that Hermes really _had_ thought of everything. There were tons of extra clothes, camp rations, a sack of food, nectar, and ambrosia, a purse of coins, and a little leather pouch full of golden drachmas. He had also packed Tyson's metals and our wands, although I had no idea how he'd managed to get those. It made us feel slightly better.

"Come on, you two," Annabeth said, looking at me and Clara. "We'll be next door, Percy. Don't eat or drink anything!"

"You think this place is enchanted?" I asked as we got our pajamas on.

"I don't know. I don't like it."

That night, I had trouble sleeping. I heard voices that sounded like they were whispering warnings, but that couldn't be right. We had walked around the whole ship and seen no one.

For once, I slept easily and without any dreams.

* * *

I was woken up by a guy on the loudspeaker with an Australian accent who sounded way too happy. "Good morning passengers! We'll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the poolside mambo party! And don't forget million-dollar bingo in the Kraken Lounge, and four our _special_ guests, disemboweling practice on the Promenade."

I sat up and looked at Clara. " _What_?"

The other two girls were wide awake as well. "Disemboweling practice?" Annabeth asked incredulously. She was already pulling her Camp Half Blood t-shirt back on. Clara was closer to the duffel bags, and she tossed me a tank top and a mini skirt, which would have been cute if they weren't green and silver, the colors of Slytherin. She had a similar outfit, with a tank and mini skirt of Hufflepuff's colors.

"Who plans this?" I asked, annoyed.

"Your mom, probably."

I nodded. That was something she would do. Annabeth had a t-shirt and jeans. "You're lucky. You weren't given stupid outfits that resemble aspects of your personality," I grumbled.

"Oh Wren, lighten up."

"Easy for you to say, Miss Sunshine."

"Miss Sunshine? Nobody calls me that."

"Well, I do now," Annabeth added. "Percy's Seaweed Brain, and you're Miss Sunshine."

"And you're Wise Girl," Clara retorted, but she was smiling. "And….hmmm….Snake Charmer."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? You killed the basilisk, _and_ you have Charmspeak."

"I guess."

" _And_ you're a Slytherin."

"Okay, okay, I get it. Snake Charmer it is. Come on."

We pounded on Percy's door. "Seaweed Brain," Annabeth called.

"They didn't say bowling, did they?" Percy asked, frowning.

"Fraid not. We should go, this isn't right."

Percy and Tyson got up. After we were dressed, we made our way down to the deck. Surprisingly, there were many people milling about. Yet nobody paid us any attention, and something seemed off.

A family headed to the pool passed us. "We are on a cruise," the dad said. "We are having a good time."

The children nodded mechanically. "Yes. We will have fun in the pool." Their expressions were blank.

"Good morning," a crew member told us. "We are enjoying ourselves aboard the _Princess Andromeda._ Have a nice day."

He walked away, and we left in the other direction. Five minutes later, we saw the first monster, a Hellhound. It was putting its paws up on the diner counter and burying its face in the eggs, but the odd thing was, there was a couple ordering breakfast right behind it, and they didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"This is weird," Annabeth muttered as we kept walking.

"I'm not hungry anymore," said Tyson

A reptilian voice came down the corridor. "Sssssixx more joined yesssterday."

"Hide!" Clara gulped, and pulled us into the nearest room. It was a girls' restroom, and she, Percy, and Tyson didn't look too thrilled.

"I don't like snakes. Or creepy girls' bathrooms."

I nodded. If they bothered me, well, let's just say I know what she'd been through. "Clara, it's going to make you too uncomfortable to call me the Snake Charmer. Let's think of a better nickname, but not right now."

Clara nodded. A second reptilian voice said, "Yesss. He drawss them. Sssoon he will be strong." I had never heard snake laughter before, and I really didn't want to hear it again.

Annabeth looked at us. "We have to get out of here."

"You think I _want_ to be in a girl's restroom?" Percy asked.

"She means the ship, Seaweed Brain," Clara said.

"Yes," Tyson agreed. "We should leave this ship. Smells bad and dogs eat all the eggs."

But just then we heard something that almost made Clara collapse. "...only a matter of time. Don't push me, Agrius!"

Percy caught her before she hit the floor. That was Luke Castellan, no doubt about it.

"I'm not pushing you." If bears could talk, that's what the second voice would have sounded like. "I'm just saying, if this gamble doesn't pay off-"

"It will pay off," Luke snapped. "They'll take the bait. Now come on, we've got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket."

"Leave now?" Tyson whimpered.

The four of us exchanged a look and came to a silent agreement. "We can't," Percy told his brother.

Clara caught on. "We have to find out what Luke's up to."

"And if possible, we're going to beat him up, bind him in chains, and drag him to Mount Olympus," Annabeth agreed.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

Annabeth volunteered to go alone, because she had her cap of invisibility.

"I'll go with you, We can make a quick getaway with my sunbeams if we need it."

"No, you two aren't going alone. It's too dangerous!" Renee said. She and Percy blocked the doorway.

"Either we all go, or nobody does," Percy added.

"Nobody?" said Tyson quietly. "Please?"

But in the end, he agreed to go with the rest of us.

We stopped at the cabin long enough to gather our stuff.

"Clara. Come here a sec." Percy motioned over to me.

"What's up?"

"Do you think Hermes meant….Luke?"

"Luke? For the saving more than one person on this trip? No….maybe. I still….I can't stand the thought of him. I mean, he tried to kill you with a scorpion. Honestly, I'm a little scared."

"It'll be okay. We're going to bring him down, Clara. One way or another."

I nodded and we left. Annabeth scouted ahead with her hat and we followed close behind. I wouldn't use my sunbeams just yet, I didn't know just how much of an issue they could be.

As we came up to deck thirteen, where the admiralty suite was supposed to be, Annabeth hissed, "Hide!" and pulled us into a supply closet.

We heard two sets of footsteps coming down the hall. "Did you see that Aethiopian drakon in the cargo hold?" One asked.

"Yeah. So cool, man."

I gasped. That was Chris from the Hermes cabin!

"We've got two more coming tomorrow," Chris said as their voices faded. "They keep arriving at this rate….man, no contest."

Once we were sure they were gone, I motioned to the others. Annabeth looked like she had realized it was Chris as well, and Percy had a puzzled look on his face, like he was trying to figure it out. Renee just looked confused.

"Guys, that was Chris Rodriguez, from cabin eleven. The one in the car with Luke and Clarisse when we escaped the Mug-the mortal school."

I had been about to say Muggle, but I didn't want Tyson hearing. It would just confuse him more.

"Oh, the Mexican one?" Renee asked.

"I believe he's Colombian," Annabeth said.

"Does it matter? Anyways, I can't believe he's here!"

"It's really worrisome," Percy agreed. "Come on, we have to keep moving."

We rounded the corridor and came to a hallway that led to an important-looking set of double doors. Renee gasped.

Below us, on the Promenade, which was a little mall, there were various monsters assembled, all watching something in the candy shop. There were giants, Hellhounds, and a few odd women who had scales and snake tails.

"Those must have been the ones we heard earlier," Percy said.

"Scythian Dracaenae," Annabeth supplemented. "Snake women."

Renee looked ready to faint. The monsters were gathered around a boy attacking a dummy with a sword. I flinched when I saw the dummy had a Camp Half-Blood shirt on.

"I hear voices," Tyson said, looking down the hallway.

"You can hear that far?" Renee demanded. "What I wouldn't give…."

"Shut up, Wren. Tyson, go on, please," I told her."

"...the prophecy ourselves. The fools won't know which way to turn," He said in Luke's voice.

"You really think the old horseman is gone for good?" Tyson had changed voices; he now sounded like the guy we had heard with Luke outside the cafeteria.

Tyson laughed Luke's laugh. "They can't trust him. Not with the skeletons in _his_ closet. The poisoning of the tree was the last straw."

"Stop that, Tyson!" Annabeth complained. "It's creepy. How do you do that?"

"No." I glared at Annabeth. "Keep going, please. We need to hear what they're saying."

"Quiet!" Tyson hissed in the second man's voice.

"Are you sure?" Back to Luke again.

"Positive. Right outside."

I groaned, finally realizing what had happened. "Run!" Percy whispered as I tried to summon a sunbeam. But it was too late.

"Well, well, well," Luke said, coming out to meet us. "If it isn't my four favorite _heroes_."

* * *

 **Hey guys. Meant to make this chapter longer but I'm really busy and also cannot find inspiration these days. I might do a bit of a filler or maybe update** _ **Love Letters to my Roommate**_ **but I don't really plan on doing much until about a month from now. School finishes on May 26th, so I am expecting I will have a lot of time in the summer. How did you like it? Please review.**

 _ **Hufflepufferfish**_


	31. Luke and Clarisse

**Renee POV**

Luke grabbed my arm and tried to pull me up, but Clara was faster. "Don't touch her!"

Luke looked shocked. "Frankly, Clarissa, I didn't think you'd had that in you."

We quickly followed him, seeing no other choice. I gasped when we got to the stateroom. Luke nodded. "A lot nicer than cabin eleven, isn't it? Although you never joined us, Sanderson."

I grasped Clara's hand. "Your insults can't get to me, Luke."

"Oh, is that so, _Black_?"

I stood my ground, not wanting him to see any reaction from the name. The room was beautiful, beautiful and horrible. It was almost as nice as the Aphrodite cabin and the Slytherin and Hufflepuff common rooms put together, but there was a giant coffin in the back.

"Sit down, sit down," He motioned, but none of us did. "Oh how rude of me. I haven't let you meet my assistants. This is Agrius, and this is Oreius. The bear twins, perhaps you've heard of them?"

I said nothing. Percy looked terrified but Luke kept talking.

"No? Well, their mother….it's sad, really. Aphrodite ordered her to fall in love, but the young woman refused and ran to Artemis for help. Artemis let her become one of her maiden huntresses, but Aphrodite got her revenge. She made the woman fall in love with a bear, and Artemis abandoned her when she found out."

He looked directly at me, baiting me to say something to my mother's defense, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Typical of the gods, really," he continued. "They fight with each other and humans get caught in the middle. Agrius and Oreius here are the girl's sons. They have no love for Olympus, but they like half-bloods okay."

"Yeah, for lunch," Agrius growled.

"Hehe! Hehe!"Oreius kept laughing like he was having an asthmatic seizure, until both Agrius and Luke stared at him.

"Go punish yourself," Agrius growled.

Oreius whimpered and went over to the corner to bang his head against the wall. Luke was unfazed.

"So, Percy, we let you live another year. How's your mom? How's school? And what about you, Clara?"

"You poisoned Thalia's tree," I shot at him, injecting venom into every word. He would _not_ talk to my friends like that!

"Right to the point, then. Okay, sure, I poisoned the tree. So what?"

"How could you?" Annabeth looked hurt. "She saved your life! How could you dishonor her?"

"The gods are the only ones doing her a dishonor. If Thalia were alive, she'd be on my side."

"Liar!" Annabeth looked ready to explode.

"If you knew what was coming, you'd understand-"

"I understand you want to destroy the camp! You're a monster!"

"And Clara, think of your dear old Pomona. She saw what was coming too, that's why she doesn't get along with Chiron."

"Again with the lying, Luke. Stop!" I screamed. "You won't treat her like this!"

"Careful, beautiful, you might break a nail." My charmspeak seemed to have no effect on him. "The gods have blinded you, all of you. Can you imagine a world without them, Annabeth? What good is that ancient history you study? Three thousand years of baggage! The West is rotten to the core, it has to be destroyed. Join me, Annabeth. Come on, I know you. We could use your intelligence to start the world anew."

"Just because you have none of your own!" Clara fired.

"Annabeth, you deserve better than tagging along on some hopeless quest to save the camp. Within a month, Half-Blood Hill will be destroyed, and all the campers who are left will either be forced to join me or be hunted to extinction. You really want to be on a losing team….with company like _this_?" He pointed to Tyson.

"Hey!" Percy snapped.

"Traveling with a _cyclops_! Talk about dishonoring Thalia's memory. I'm surprised at you, Annabeth. You of all people-"

"Stop it!" She screamed.

I glanced at Percy and Clara, who looked as confused as I was. Annabeth buried her face in her hands, looking ready to cry.

"Leave her alone. And leave Tyson out of this!" Percy demanded.

"Oh, that's right. Your pathetic father claimed _him_ , too. Yes, that's right," he said, seeing our shocked faces, "I still have friends from camp who tell me what's going on."

"Spies, you mean," I retorted. Luke sneered.

"I know all about your plan to find the Fleece. And those _coordinates_. 30, 31, 75, 12, wasn't it?"

"Shut up!" Clara and I yelled at the same time, and I whipped out my wand.

"Oh, put away the wand, Renee. You can't harm me with _magic_."

That one had shocked me. Whoever Luke's spies were, they would have had to be close to me or Clara to know that we could do magic. Unfortunately, Luke noticed my discomfort.

"Ah yes. My friends tell me everything, _Black_. And Percy, how many more insults from your father can you take? You think Poseidon cares for you any more than he does for this _monster_?" Tyson moaned and clenched his fist.

Luke chuckled. "The gods are _so_ using you, Percy. Do you have any idea what's in store for you if you reach your sixteenth birthday? Has Chiron even _told_ you about the prophecy?" Luke laughed.

"I know what I need to know," Percy said evenly. "Like, who my enemies are."

"Then you're a fool."

Tyson's anger finally reached the surface. "My brother is not a fool!" He charged Luke before any of us could stop him, and ran his fist at his head with a force that would have killed him, but the bear twins intercepted.

Luke smirked. "Too bad, Cyclops. Looks like my Grizzly friends are more than a match for your strength. Maybe I should just let them-"

"Your father sent us," Percy said quickly.

Luke's eyes narrowed. "Don't….even…. _mention_ him!"

"He directed us toward your boat," Clara continued. "We thought it was just for a ride, but no. He _wanted_ us to find you. He told Percy and me that he won't give up on you, no matter how angry you are."

"Angry?" Luke yelled. " _Give up on me_? He _abandoned_ me, Percy. Just as your father did to you, Clara. When you were petrified, he could have _healed_ you, but _no_ , he just _had_ to leave it up to _fate_."

"Who told you that?" I screamed at him. "WHO'S THE SPY?"

"Oh, this wasn't a spy, Renee. This was a friend of yours who's helping me out. A _witch_ friend. What was her name….Katie? Kelly? Oh that's right, _Kaylee_." I glared at him. "Funny how I know these things, isn't it?

"Anyway, Percy," he continued, oblivious to the tears sparkling in my eyes, "I want Olympus _destroyed_! I'll tear down every last throne! You tell Hermes it's going to happen, too! Each time a camper joins us, you grow weaker, and we grow stronger. _He_ grows stronger," Luke said, indicating the gold sarcophagus.

"He….you don't mean….?" Percy mused, shocked.

"But I do. He's reforming, little by little. Every time we get a new recruit, another piece comes in."

"That's disgusting!" Annabeth made a face.

"Your mother was born from Zeus's split skull, I wouldn't talk." Luke sneered at her. "Soon there will be enough of the titan lord that we can make him whole again. We'll piece together a new body for him, a work worthy of the forges of Hephaestus."

"You're insane," I spat at him.

"Join us and you'll be rewarded. Sponsors rich enough to buy this cruise ship and much more. Percy, your mother will never have to work again. She could live in a mansion. So could your oversized family, Clara. Your brothers could go to college, Renee could live with you guys. And you, Annabeth, you can help us rebuild a new golden age, your every dream….think of the possibilities! A temple to the lords of the next age!"

"Go to Tartarus!" Annabeth screamed.

Luke clucked his tongue. "A shame."

He picked up something that looked like a TV remote and pressed a red button. Within seconds, security had appeared. The men had the same glassy look as the others, but Clara was already summoning a sunbeam, their dreamlike qualities wouldn't make them any less dangerous in a fight.

"Ah, good, security. We have some _stowaways_."

"Yes, sir," the men said, dazed.

"Oreius, it's time to feed the drakon. Take these down to the cargo hold to show them how it's done."

Oreius looked gleeful. "Hehe. Hehe."

"Boss, can't I go too? My brother's worthless, and they have a cyclops, and it's five against one!" Agrius roared.

"Oreius can handle them."

"But-"

"Agrius, stay here. We have important matters to discuss."

The bear nodded glumly. "Yes boss."

"Oreius, don't fail me. Stay in the hold to make sure the drakon is properly fed."

I whimpered as Oreius prodded us with his javelin.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

"Wren," I whispered. "We've gotten off a cursed ship before, we can do it again. He said the bear twins _together_ are better than Tyson, but what about separated? We've got charmspeak, magic, sun, and water on our side too."

She nodded, but her hands were cold. "Wren, what is it? You're not usually this quiet."

"He's working with Kaylee," she hissed. "That means Kaylee _knows_. That means that not only do I have to watch out for her because she's a bully, but now I have to be super careful what I say. If she knows this much already, what will happen if I let anything slip?" The tears rolled down her cheeks. "She's too powerful, Clara. And if she knows, the whole Slytherin house could know! Why didn't I take the offer of Gryffindor when I had the chance?"

"Is that what this is about? Because I'll let you know, you're more powerful than Luke _and_ Kaylee any day! I mean it! Plus, you've got us, and Harry and Ron and Hermione and Sandra and Gill and….Kaylee can't do anything to you. I _promise_." I was convinced that Renee was better than worrying about this.

"How are we going to get off the ship?"

"With those," Percy said, indicating a row of lifeboats behind us.

"How long were you listening?" Renee snapped.

"Long enough. Now, Tyson!"

Tyson lifted a fist and whacked Oreius in the head, knocking the bear out, but I barely saw it as I zoomed to the lifeboat on a sunbeam. I heard the alarm go off and decided to try something I had never done before.

"Dad," I whispered, "If ever you were listening, the time would be now. Give me a sunbeam to send to the others, quickly!"

I focused hard on Renee, who was closest to me. A flash appeared, and Tyson noticed. "Pretty lights."

Renee saw me. "Tyson, wait for us to get on, then follow! Now!"

I finished hacking at the ropes and saw my friends speed toward me.

"I'll try to get this on a sunbeam, but we'll have to take the risk, okay?" I pleaded.

"Clara, why aren't you in the boat?"

"I'm going to cut the last rope, just go! Can you all fit?"

"You're not going to….?" Percy asked, finally understanding.

"Yes. I'm going to push now. Hang on! One, two, THREE!" I let the rope go as javelins and arrows went flying past them, and then summoned a sunbeam for myself.

"Get her!" Someone yelled, and I recognized the voice, but there was no time to think about it. I caught up to the others as Percy yelled, "Thermos!" and Tyson pulled it from his bag. He tossed it to me.

"Just a little," Percy screamed, but I knew what to do. "Annabeth, Renee, hang on!"

Annabeth and Renee tightened their grip and I unscrewed the lid. Within seconds we were out of weapon range.

I lowered my sunbeam so it was just skimming the water. The boat sped up to match me.

"Guys," I said. "I don't know when I'll lose steam, so be careful."

Percy nodded. "We should try to IM Chiron," he said, pulling out a golden drachma.

"Good thinking. Tyson, can you keep watch?" I asked. The cyclops nodded.

Percy threw the Drachma. "Chiron!"

Because of the wind, water, and speed, I wasn't sure how clear we came across, but we told the centaur about leaving camp and about Luke.

There was a loud crash as a plate came flying next to Chiron's head, and we suddenly heard loud music.

"Where are you?"

"...Cousins. If you do get the fleece….Miami."

"What?" I yelled, but the image cut out. We looked at each other and shook our heads.

* * *

We took turns keeping watch until the sun rose. "Wow," said Renee. "We must be at-"

"Virginia Beach," finished Percy. We all stared.

"But that's gotta be-" Annabeth started.

"Five hundred and thirty nautical miles." Percy looked confused.

"Percy, what are our coordinates?" I asked suddenly.

"Um….36 degrees, 44 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west." He paused, shocked. "How did I know that?"

"It's because of your dad," Annabeth said in wonder. "You have perfect bearings while at sea. That's so cool!"

"Um….I don't exactly want to be a human GPS system…."

Tyson tapped Percy's shoulder. "Other boat is coming." We hadn't noticed the coast guard, but he was gaining on us. I threw a sunbeam under the boat, and we sped into the air. I had no idea what the coast guard thought.

"Keep heading to Chesapeake Bay, if this thing is steerable. I know a place where we can hide."

I had no idea how Annabeth knew this place so well, but I followed her instructions, with Percy yelling out coordinates every few minutes until we landed on the ground with a bump.

Annabeth motioned for us to follow. "In here, come on guys, hide the boat with us." She pushed away some of the bushes to reveal a little clearing.

"A hideout?" Renee asked incredulously. "What is this place,, Annabeth?"

"Come on, we made them with extra space, should be just big enough for the five of us, although it'll be a squeeze."

There were sleeping bags and rations for both mortals and demigods. "You _made_ this?" I asked. "This half-blood hideout or whatever?"

"Yep." Annabeth beamed at our impressed faces. "With Thalia. And Luke." Her face fell, and I reached out my hand to comfort her. She took it, grateful.

Percy looked uncomfortable, and I had a theory about what was bothering him. I didn't want to ask him anything in front of Annabeth, though, so I just said, "Annabeth, are you sure this place is safe? I mean, if Luke knows about it….?"

"He's probably not even thinking about it. We made tons of these when we were on the run."

"Okay." Renee looked skeptical.

Percy realized there was a conversation we needed to have. "Um, Tyson? Would you mind scouting outside for a wilderness convenience store so we can have snacks?"

"Snacks?"

"Just look for some, like, powdered donuts or something," I told him. He nodded, happy to have something to do.

"I will go find donuts in the wilderness. Here, donuts," he called as he left the cave.

"Hey," Percy said. "I'm sorry about, you know, seeing Luke."

Annabeth stared at the wall. "It wasn't your fault, Percy."

Renee thought for a second. "He let us go too easy."

I looked around at the others, realizing it was true. They both seemed to agree as well, and my heart sank.

"I was thinking the same thing," said Annabeth solemnly. "When we heard them in the bathroom, he said something about how 'they'll take the bait.' I think we're the 'they.'"

"But why? Is it the Fleece?" I asked.

"I don't know, Clara. Maybe he wants the Fleece for himself, but he'll get us to do the hard work. I just can't believe he'd poison the tree!"

"What did he mean," Renee asked cautiously, "that Thalia would have been on _his_ side?"

"He's wrong."

"You don't sound sure."

Annabeth glared at me and Percy. I tried to reach out a hand and calm her, but she just slapped it away.

"Renee, you know who you remind me of most? _Thalia_. You too, Percy. Both of you are so much like her, it's scary. Like, you would have either been best friends or strangled each other."

Percy and Renee exchanged a glance. "Let's go with best friends," said Percy.

"Thalia got angry at her dad sometimes. So do you, both of you, at your godly parents. But that wouldn't have turned you against Olympus, would it?"

Percy and Renee stared. "I guess not," she finally mumbled. "No."

"Then she wouldn't've either!"

"Okay," Percy whispered. "You're scary sometimes, Annabeth."

"Good." She reached for my hand and pulled me in for a hug. "Thanks, Clara."

"For what?"

"For being a good friend. I'll need someone like you to keep my anger from reaching the top."

Renee rolled her eyes. "So sappy."

"Like it hasn't happened with us," I retorted playfully. She grinned.

I could tell Percy had something on his mind, but he thought for a minute and then shook his head.

"Annabeth," Renee asked, and I was surprised that she was being so bold with her questions. "What did Luke mean, travelling with Tyson was dishonoring Tahlia's memory?"

Annabeth buried her face in her hands. "He was talking about the reason Thalia died. The _real_ reason."

"Which was….?" Percy pressed.

"You can never trust a cyclops, Percy. Six years ago, on the night Grover led us to camp-"

The door creaked open. Tyson was beaming. "Monster Donut. Fifty feet away."

* * *

Annabeth grabbed my arm and raced out of the clearing. Percy and Renee followed us. "This is bad," Annabeth murmured, pointing at the donut shop in front of us.

The shop looked brand new, with bright lights and a large sign reading, "Monster Donut" in huge letters. There was a single employee behind the counter who was reading a magazine, and that was it.

"What's so bad about it?" Renee asked. "It's just a chain."

"This shouldn't be here. It's wrong."

"Why are we whispering?" Percy demanded in a loud whisper. "Tyson went in and got a dozen, and he's fine."

"Because he's a _monster_ ," said Annabeth plainly.

"Aww, come _on_ Annabeth. I know Monster Donut. We have them in New York. It's just a regular chain, like Renee said."

"Clara, be quiet!" She hissed. "It could be a nest!"

Tyson groaned. He didn't seem to have any idea what she was talking about either, but her tone made us all uncomfortable.

"Um, Annabeth? A nest for what?"I decided to end our confusion.

"Have you ever wondered how chain stores pop up so fast? Like one day there's nothing, and then the next day, boom. A new coffee shop or hamburger place or whatever shows up?"

"Can't say that I have," Percy whispered. Annabeth glared at him.

"Well, sometimes it's because they're connected to the life force of a monster. Some children of Hermes figured out how to do it back in the 1950's. They breed-"

"They breed what?" Percy pressed, but Annabeth was suddenly stiff as a statue.

"No….sudden….moves." Her whisper was quieter than before. "Very slowly turn around."

We did, and something the size of a rhino was lumbering through the bushes around our camp. It took me a minute to realize the monster had several heads. Renee was about to scream, but I clamped my hand over her mouth. Annabeth shot Percy a look, and I saw he was about to uncap riptide.

 _Good thinking, Annabeth_.

The Hydra was only a few feet away, but monsters have terrible eyesight. It may not have seen us yet. "What is it, Miss Sunshine?" Renee asked me.

"Hydra," I said, without knowing exactly how. There was a nasty tearing sound.

"He's got our tent," Annabeth mumbled. "He's got our scent."

Suddenly, the heads lunged at Tyson. "Scatter!" Annabeth screamed. We spread out, but Tyson didn't move.

"Tyson!" Percy yelled.

"Uh?"

"Move!" The cyclops ran.

Percy pulled the cap off of riptide. "That should distract him."

I nodded. The sight of celestial bronze was hateful to monsters, and the hydra noticed it right away. It hissed and charged Percy, and without thinking, he swung his sword. "No!" Annabeth and I yelled simultaneously.

But the damage had been done. Each of the Hydra's necks split, and another head sprouted from each one. "Percy! You just opened another _Monster Donut_!"

"Really, Annabeth?" Renee screamed back. "We're about to die and you're worried about _that_?"

"How do we kill it?" I asked.

"Fire!" Annabeth yelled. "We need fire!"

"Will sunbeams work?"

"Clara, there's a spell, remember?" Renee was pulling her wand from her back pocket, and I did the same. "Caerula flammis!" We shouted, which we knew as the spell Hermione had used to set Snape's robes on fire a year before we started. But the bluebell flames were tiny and didn't do much good. Tyson tried to pummel the heads, and he did a pretty good job of it, but even he couldn't hold the heads off forever.

We dodged acid and ran toward the river. The hydra followed, but there was a noise like heavy panting, and it made the river shake.

"What is _that_?" Renee screamed.

"Steam engine," said Tyson.

"What?" We all asked in disbelief.

There was indeed a ship, an iron-clad, Civil War cruiser.

"Great," Renee muttered. "We now have enemies on two fronts."

"They're too close, m'lady," a gravelly male voice said.

"Damn those heroes. Full steam ahead!" Crap, I knew that voice. That was Clarisse.

"Aye, m'lady."

"Fire at will!"

"Hit the ground!" Annabeth screamed. We dove onto the earth. Fire shot above us.

Clarisse was dressed in full battle armor, on a gigantic ship. "Losers. But I guess I had to rescue you. Come aboard." She lowered the ladder, and we rolled our eyes, our hearts racing.

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

I grasped Clara's hand as Clarisse gave us a tour I can't say I actually appreciated. I was relieved that the name of the ship was called the _CSS Birmingham_. "No more Andromeda," I whispered to Clara, who giggled nervously.

"You guys are in _so_ much trouble!" Clarisse told us as we finished the tour and exited into the captain's quarters for dinner. As far as we could tell, the only others on the ship were the ghosts of confederates. They creeped Tyson out, and to be honest they creeped me out too. I didn't really want to eat anything served by skeletons, but my hunger overcame my squeamishness. I could tell Percy was thinking the same thing.

"Tantalus expelled you for eternity," Clarisse continued, glaring at us. "Mr. D said if any of you ever show your face at camp again, he'd turn you into squirrels and run you over with his SUV."

Percy gulped, but it was all strangely funny to me. "Did _they_ give you this ship?" I asked, smirking a little.

"No, my father did."

" _Ares_?" Percy gasped.

"Despite what you think, your dad isn't the only one with sea power. The soldiers on the losing side of every war must pay tribute to him."

I raised my eyebrows. "I prayed to my father for naval transport, and here it is," she continued. "These guys will do anything I want them to. Right, captain?"

"Do anything. Kill anyone. As long it brings an end to infernal war."

Clarisse smiled fondly. "Kill anyone. I like that."

"Clarisse," I said, "Luke might be after the Fleece too. We saw him. He has the coordinates, and he's travelling on a ship full of monsters."

"Great. I'll blast him out of the water!"

"Clarisse, you don't understand," Annabeth pleaded. "We have to work together!"

"No way! This is _my_ quest, and you four are not going to ruin it! You two already ruined my last one!"

I was about to react harshly to that, but Clara got there first. "Clarisse, please. We can help you, I promise."

Clarisse's face relaxed a little bit. I had forgotten that Clara had that effect on Clarisse, but it was good to see. "Clarisse," I asked suddenly, "where are your teammates? Weren't you allowed to bring two with you? Where are your other Ares kids?"

"I was wondering that, too," added Percy.

"They didn't….I let them stay behind to protect the camp."

"You mean even your own cabinmates wouldn't…." I trailed off as Clara gave me a sharp nudge. "Tantalus is using you, Clarisse. He'd love to see camp destroyed. He's setting you up to fail."

"Shut up, prissy! I don't care what the Oracle-never mind!"

Clara shot me a look that plainly said, _shut up. I'll take it from here._

"What did the Oracle say?" she asked innocently.

"Nothing! It's nothing! All you need to know is, I'm finishing this quest, and you're _not_ helping me! On the other hand, I can't let you go, so…."

I forgot Clara's warning. "So we're _prisoners_?"

"Guests. For now. Captain, take them below and give them bunks. But make sure they mind their manners, or we'll show them what I do with enemy spies!"

* * *

I woke up disoriented, until I remembered the events from the previous night. But as soon as I was awake, Clara was banging on my door. "Wren," she called. "I had another dream!"

I groaned. "What was it?"

Clara pulled opened the door. "Polyphemus found Grover unraveling his wedding train, and then we got a view of the island. And the Fleece. He gave Grover a thread that wouldn't unravel, and then Grover asked about being _kidnapped_ off the island, and Polyphemus said they'd have to get through his pets, which were more sheep, but probably not, like, regular sheep."

She said all that without taking a breath. Bells rung from somewhere, and then the captain's gravelly voice came over the intercom. "All hands on deck! Find Lady Clarisse! Where _is_ that girl?"

Clara threw me the nearest clothes, which happened to be a cute tank top and shorts that I couldn't actually remember having, or putting out. The top was pink, and the shorts were black. I noticed that Clara was dressed similarly, but her tank top was golden. Ah, that would explain it then. _Mom_.

I pulled them on, grateful for the godly assistance, and followed Clara out of the room. We met up with Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson on the deck, and Clarisse showed up a moment later.

"Captain says we're approaching the entrance to the Sea of Monsters," Annabeth said. "You two have your wands?"

We nodded. "I don't think we can ever travel without them," Clara said. "Being who we are, I mean." I nodded in agreement.

"Good."

I noticed Percy was making an effort not to make eye contact with Clarisse. Clara had already established with him that he'd had the dream as well, but I didn't think that was it.

"At last. Captain, full steam ahead," Clarisse ordered.

"Percy, where are we?" Annabeth asked.

"Off the coast of Florida."

I gasped. We'd travelled a long distance overnight, then. The engine groaned as we increased speed.

"Too much strain on the pistons," Tyson mumbled. "Not meant for deep water."

I glanced at the others, worried. Percy shrugged, but then said, "He's probably right."

There was a black swirling mass in front of us. "Hurricane?" Annabeth asked.

Clarisse shook her head. "Charybdis."

"Are you crazy?"

Clara put her arm around her. I noticed we all had been blessed with clothes from Aphrodite today. Even Clarisse didn't seem to mind her blood-red tank top. Percy was looking nice in a sea-green tie-dye t-shirt and bermuda shorts. _Bermuda shorts?_ _Really, Mom_? _I didn't think you were the jokey type._

I didn't expect any sort of answer to that, so I wasn't surprised when she didn't respond. I didn't even know if the gods could hear my thoughts, but I really hoped not. That would be creepy.

"Annabeth," Clara was saying, "it's the only way into the Sea of Monsters, right between Scylla and Charybdis."

"What do you mean, the only way?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, the sea is wide open," I agreed.

Clarisse rolled her eyes. "Gods, Percy, you'd think being a son of the sea god, you'd know this stuff. Anyway, they'll just move wherever we are to trap us."

"What about the clashing rocks?" Annabeth asked. "Jason used that way."

"I can't blow apart _rocks_ with my cannons. Monsters, on the other hand…."

"You _are_ crazy," I said.

"Watch and learn," she said. "Set course for Charybdis!"

"Aye, m'lady."

"Clarisse?" Percy asked, "Charybdis sucks up the sea, right?"

"And spits it back out again, yeah."

"Then why don't we just go for Scylla? We have a better chance that way. Everyone goes below deck, and we just chug right past."

Clarisse laughed dryly. "No! If Scylla doesn't get her easy meat, she'll pick up the whole ship! Besides, she's too high to make a good target! My cannons don't shoot straight up. We'll just blast Charybdis to pieces! We'll blow her to Tartarus!"

The deck was heating up below us. Charybdis sounded like a gigantic toilet sucking up the sea. It seemed to take her about three minutes per cycle.

"Percy, do you still have the thermos?" I asked

"It's not going to work, not with all the water at this speed!"

"What about controlling the water?" Annabeth asked. "I've seen you do it before."

Percy sighed. "I'll try."

He scrunched up his face in concentration, but we could all tell the water was too powerful for him. "We need a backup plan," Clara said. "This isn't going to work."

Tyson nodded. "Pistons need fixing. Engine's no good."

Annabeth looked startled. "What do you mean?"

But before he could explain, there was a mighty _roar_ and Charybdis sucked us in. "Full reverse!" Clarisse shouted. "I just need to get in shooting range!"

Zombie confederates rushed back and forth. They didn't seem scared of the impending doom, maybe because they had already fought a losing cause, or maybe because they were already dead. Neither was much comfort.

"We're not going to make it, m'lady," the captain shouted. "Prepare for death!"

"No!" Tyson bellowed. "I can fix it!"

Clarisse looked incredulous. "You?"

"He's a cyclops," Annabeth explained."They're immune to fire. And Tyson builds stuff."

"I'll go too," Clara piped up. "I'm a witch, I know a spell! And I think I'm also immune to heat! I ride around on sunbeams all the time, that's hotter than fire!"

"No!" Percy and I yelled at the same time. "It's too dangerous. And I am _not_ losing you again!" I continued.

Tyson patted Percy's hand. "Only way, brother. I will fix the pistons. Be right back."

"Renee, I'm sorry. I have to do this. I swear, we'll be okay." She followed Tyson.

Percy and I stared at each other, not believing what we had just let happen. But then, we got our first glimpse of Charybdis. She was just by the reef, with an enormous mouth with slimy lips and mossy teeth the size of rowboats. Worse, the teeth had braces, scummy bands of corroded metal with pieces of driftwood and fish stuck between them.

As I watched, the entire sea was sucked into the void, including fish, a few sharks, and a giant squid. And we would be next.

"Lady Clarisse," one of the soldiers called. "Starboard and forward guns are in range!"

"Fire!" She commanded. They fired heavily, but it was no use. We would have to pound the monster a hundred more times before we did any real damage, but there was no way we had that long.

Suddenly, the vibrations of the deck changed. The hum of the engine got stronger and steadier, and the ship shuddered and started pulling away from the mouth.

"Tyson and Clara did it!" Annabeth yelled.

"We need to stay close!" Clarisse shouted.

"We need to move away, we'll be killed! Percy retorted.

We clutched onto the railings as the broken Ares flag came loose and collided with one of the monster's braces. We weren't making much progress, but somehow Clara and Tyson had given us just enough energy to keep the ship from being sucked in.

Suddenly, the mouth snapped shut. The sea died to absolute calm. Water washed over Charybdis.

Then, as quickly as it had closed, the mouth exploded open, spitting out a jet of water forty feet high. It ejected everything inedible, including our cannonballs, one of which hit the ship with a loud resounding _ding!_

We were thrown backwards on a wave as tall as a house. Percy was trying to control the water, but we were still spinning out of control, hurtling toward the cliffs opposite of Charybdis.

A smoldering solder ran out from the hull, colliding into Clarisse. "The engine is about to blow!"

"Where's Tyson and Clara?" Percy demanded.

"Still holding it together. But I don't know for how much longer."

I glared at Clarisse. "If my best friend dies down there, I'll kill you! I have a wand _and_ a sword!"

The captain ignored me. "We have to abandon ship!"

"No!" Clarisse yelled, too scared to argue with me.

"We have no choice, m'lady. The hull is already cracking. She cant-"

He never finished his sentence. Quick as lightning, something brown and green shot from the sky, snatching up the captain and lifting him away.

"Scylla!" Another soldier yelled as he was picked up and carried away as well.

"Everyone below deck!" Percy yelled without thinking.

"Below deck is in flames!" Clarisse shot back at him. "Get the lifeboats!"

"We'll never get clear of the cliffs," I moaned. "We'll all be eaten! And Clara!"

"I can't leave Tyson!" Percy agreed!"

"We have to ready the boats!" Annabeth screamed. "Percy, the thermos!"

He pulled it out of his bag and threw it to her. "I have to get Tyson!"

"I'm going with you!" I yelled, running after him.

"Percy, it's too hot!" Annabeth called after us. "You'll die!"

We didn't listen, but ran toward the boiler hatch. Suddenly, we were no longer on the ship. Scylla had grabbed hold of our bags and lifted us up. I wanted to scream but knew it was a bad idea.

Thinking quickly, Percy pulled out his sword and stabbed at Scylla. I pulled out my wand and yelled, "Releashio!" hoping I remembered the correct incantation. She grunted and dropped us.

The hundred-foot drop would have been bad enough, but as we fell, the _CSS Birmingham_ exploded below us. The engine room blew, sending chunks of ironclad flying below us in every direction like a fiery set of wings. "Tyson!" Percy yelled. "And Clara." We were going really quickly, but I could still see the tears forming in his eyes. I tried to reach out my hand so we would fall together.

The lifeboats had managed to get away from the ship, but not very far. Flaming wreckage was raining down, and Clarisse and Annabeth would either be smashed, burned, or pulled to the bottom by the force of the sinking hull, and that was thinking optimistically, if they got away from Scylla.

Then there was a different kind of explosion: the sound of Hermes' thermos being opened a little too far. I couldn't see anything as we clutched at each other and sped toward the water.

Percy must have been my protection as a son of the sea god from me breaking every last bone. The last thing I remembered before sinking into the burning sea was that I would never see Clara again.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this was so long. I wanted to do a big one for the start of summer, so I hope this is good. Am I getting better with action scenes? I love doing this, and now I'll have so much more time.**

 **Also, I think I've figured out what I want to do with** _ **Letters to My Roommate**_ **: I'll delete what I currently have and start in second year, because that's where I can really see a Rarry thing starting to form. I hope you guys think this is a good idea.**

 **Poor Renee, losing her best friend twice in the same month, sure Clara's going to die….I'm evil, aren't I? *Maniacal laugh***

 **Please review, sorry for the long wait. I can update more now, and I might even go back to one of my old ones, or I might start something new.**


	32. Circe and Tyson

**Renee POV:**

I woke up on the shore next to Annabeth. I found it hard to move my head. Percy was groaning next to me.

"Rest," Annabeth said. "You'll need it."

I looked around, expecting to see Clara beside me. And then I remembered. "Clara?"

"Tyson?" Percy echoed.

"I'm so sorry," Annabeth said, and I could tell she meant it. Then I blacked out.

An hour later, I was able to sit up without pain. I looked around, remembered again, and groaned.

"Where are we?"

"Cave. On an island somewhere. We'll go seek help soon," Annabeth told me.

I nodded. "Is there any way she could have…. _survived_?"

Annabeth frowned. "I'm really sorry."

I looked at Percy, who seemed to be thinking about Tyson, and suddenly I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"This is all your fault! You were the one who encouraged them to go down there! 'He's a cyclops, he's immune to fire….' and then you didn't do _anything_ when Clara volunteered herself!"

Before I knew what I was doing, my fist connected with her face.

"Renee!" She gasped.

I didn't care. I ran from the cave. She deserved it.

I heard them talking. "Annabeth, don't. Stay here. I'll go after her."

Then, there was running as Percy caught up to me. "Renee, you _know_ it's not her fault."

"Come _on_ , Percy. You should feel even angrier than I do. You lost two people you cared about. I lost one!"

"Renee….Wren, I _am_ angry. But not at Annabeth. At the situation."

"I _never said_ you could call me that, Jackson!"

"Sorry. Renee, I'm sorry. I know that Clara was your first light. I'm sorry."

"You weren't there last year! I already lost her twice!"

"Renee," he asked calmly, "what happened last year? At Hogwarts?"

I cried as I told him the whole story. He put his arm around me, but I shrugged him away. "That was less than a month ago, Percy. Twice, I've lost her, and now I'm totally convinced I'll never have her back. What cruel god did this to me? Why am I cursed this way?"

"Renee, stop. You can't think that way. I mean, your life isn't cursed! Trust me, you'll live."

"But you don't expect them to be alive."

We sat in silence for a few moments, the tears rolling down our cheeks. A few minutes later, Annabeth found us huddled together, and she joined us. It looked like she had taken some ambrosia or something, and there was nothing to show I had punched her. That was good.

"We should go. I think there's a resort on this island, I saw it, C.C.'s Resort and Spa," she said after a few minutes. "Just on the other side of the cave."

We nodded and followed her.

* * *

 **The** _ **CSS Birmingham:**_ **Clara POV:**

The fire surged around us, and I knew I was going to die. But Tyson was brave. He held on to me as we jumped off the boat. He seemed confident that whatever would reach us at the bottom, it wasn't instant death.

I was surprised, to say the least, when we were met by a white horse swimming in the water. No, I realized, not a horse. A hippocampi. _Rainbow_!

"Did you know he was following us?" I asked Tyson.

"No, Just got lucky." He lifted me onto Rainbow's back and clambered on after. Surprisingly, he still had his duffel bag. "I would rest. We will try to find our friends."

I nodded, surprised at how tired I was. Rainbow didn't seem to mind the weight, which was good. I wasn't really ready to get off and sunbeam right yet.

* * *

 **Renee POV:**

C.C. turned out to be a young, charismatic woman. She had an assistant as well. The assistant, whose name was Hylla, led Annabeth and me to the back. When we asked about Percy, C.C. said he needed the special treatment.

"Renee," Hylla told us. "Your glistening hair is almost perfect. But a nice evening gown couldn't do any harm, could it? And that face definitely needs a deep cleansing."

"Okay," I said, ready to be pampered and not really thinking about anything."

"Perfect. You can go over there, with my sister Reyna." She flashed a perfect smile at me.

I relaxed as Reyna rubbed the cream all over my face, and I hoped Percy was getting the same treatment. I could just see Hylla as she worked on Annabeth. Other workers bustled around, looking for things. One brought a midnight blue gown over to me. It was beautiful.

Annabeth was done first, and as soon as she left the chair, she got a concerned look on her face. "Where's Percy?" She asked Hylla.

"He's getting a special treatment with C.C., remember?" Hylla told her.

Her eyes narrowed. "Why did we agree to get separated, again?"

"Because he couldn't see your beautification process! That would make you both impure!"

"I don't believe you. Renee, pull on the gown. We're leaving."

"Wha-what? But I haven't even started," I mumbled sleepily. "And where's Clara? She should be getting this too."

Annabeth sighed sadly, and I looked around as everything came rushing back to me. "Annabeth, where are we? And where's Percy? And Clara?"

"Hylla," Annabeth asked suddenly, "What was in that face cream?"

"Oh, just a little de-stressor. Stress causes wrinkles, you know."

"Renee, come on!" She pulled me up and handed me the gown. It _was_ really pretty. But now I knew we had to get out of there.

We ran through the corridor and found a room with the label C.C. on the door. We burst in, and C.C. looked shocked.

"Done already, are we? Are you sure that face cream had enough time to _sink in_?"

"Where's Percy?" Annabeth demanded.

"He's getting one of our special treatments, didn't Hylla tell you?"

I heard an annoying squealing, but I figured it was nothing. "What did you think of your tour," C.C. continued.

Tour? We hadn't had any tour. But Annabeth played along. "Your library is amazing!"

"Ah yes. The best knowledge of the last three millennia. Anything you want to study, my dear, anything you want to _be_."

"An architect," Annabeth said.

"An architect? Pah! You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me. And like Renee."

"I'm a witch, not a sorceress! Much less evil!" I screamed. "Now where's Percy?"

"Mind your temper, my dear. It will get you into trouble one day." C.C. laughed, something that sounded like bells. "My mother is Hecate, goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena when I see one. We are not so different, you and I. We both seek knowledge. We both admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadows of men. And you, Renee, you've already learned magic. You could be my assistant."

"Huh?"

"That's right." Annabeth was getting a glazed look over her eyes. "Come closer. I don't mean any harm."

Annabeth seemed to be falling for it, but I wasn't. I had finally looked around the room and seen the guinea pig cage. And then I understood something.

"C.C….Circe!"

"Very good, my dear." I had hoped that the realization would bring Annabeth back to her senses, and she did back up a bit.

"What have you done to Percy?" I demanded.

Circe ignored me. "You could be great, Annabeth. Stay with me. Study with me. You'll be great. How many great women have you heard of, Annabeth? The men get all the glory."

Her eyes glazed over like mine had when I had the facial cream, but she held her ground as she said, "Atalanta. Amelia Earhart-"

"Bah! Men get all the glory! Now Medea and Calypso, _they_ were powerful women. The only way to power for women is sorcery. Isn't that right, Renee?"

"No! There was Coco Chanel, and Harriet Tubman, and Jane Goodall, and Margaret Thatcher, and-"

"No! The only way to power is sorcery!"

"Where's Percy?" Annabeth and I screamed together, and then we finally noticed the guinea pig cage for what it really was. "What have you done to him?" She continued.

"Only helped him realize his true form. Men are pigs, you should know that. What about all those _boyfriends_ you had in elementary school, Renee?"

"Shut up!"

"What about Potter, who's never going to _love_ you, who hasn't even _written_ to you. And your _dear_ Gill Bellis, who doesn't really _care_ for you at all."

Annabeth grabbed me before I could do anything rash. One look told me she had a plan.

"Can we just have a minute to say goodbye?" Annabeth asked innocently.

"Of course, my dears. Just one minute. I'll close the windows so you'll have _total_ privacy."

She walked out of the room, and Annabeth immediately said, "Okay, go to Percy's bag and find Hermes' multivitamins. I'll try to figure out which one is Percy."

I nodded. There had been fifteen, Percy had showed us. Three for each of us. But now Tyson and Clara were gone. "Take one, and throw the bottle to me," Annabeth whisper-yelled. I popped a pink hydra shaped one in my mouth and tossed the bottle to her.

"Good catch."

"Thanks. I can't figure out-"

The door burst open, and Circe walked back in, along with two of her business attendants.

"Well," Circe sighed. "What's your answer?"

Annabeth pulled out her knife, and I followed suit with my wand. "Really, little girls? You think that would be _wise_ , to try to fight me with the knife and the wand? Renee, you've had one year in training, that will be no way to rival _me_. What should I turn you girls into? Something small and ill-tempered for Annabeth….hmm, I know….a shrew! And for Renee, something beautiful and annoying….a macaw!"

"What about a panther that has her claws at your throat?" Annabeth asked as Circe's flame did absolutely nothing.

"How?" Circe stammered.

She held up the multivitamins for the sorceress to see. She howled in frustration. "Curse Hermes and his multivitamins! Those are such a fad! They do absolutely _nothing_ for you!"

Her attendants rushed forward, but Circe held them back. "They're immune to our magic until the vitamins wear off!"

"Change Percy back!" I yelled, injecting charmspeak and venom into every word.

"I can't," she said simply. "It's his true form."

Annabeth snarled. "Then you leave us no choice." She held the bottle of vitamins over the cage, and the guinea pigs squealed loudly.

"No! You don't understand! Those are the worst-"

"You asked for it," she said, smirking just a little.

She dumped the vitamins into the cage, and Circe wailed. Percy was the first to turn back, thank the gods. But then there were the others.

"Argggh!" Bellowed the largest of the men. "What's the witch done to me?"

Annabeth gasped. "I recognize you!" Now that I thought about it, he did seem a little familiar. "You're Edward Teach, son of Ares, right?"

"Aye, lass. Though most call me Blackbeard! And there's the sorceress that captured us, lads! Run her through! And then I mean to find me a big bowl of celery! Argggh!"

I couldn't help chuckling. Annabeth helped pull Percy to his feet, glowering at him.

"Annabeth," he stammered, "I don't know what to say….I'm sorry." He looked at me helplessly, but Annabeth pulled him into a fierce hug. "I'm glad you're not a guinea pig, Seaweed Brain."

"Me too."

They embraced for a while more before I said, "Come on, guys. She's distracted now. Let's go!"

They looked sheepishly at me and mumbled, "sorry," but I was so happy I hadn't lost either of them. Then I remembered something.

"Annabeth, I'm really sorry for the way I treated you this morning."

"Don't worry about it. I would've done the same if it was _my_ best friend. That is, if I had one."

Percy glared at her, and then we all burst out laughing.

* * *

Percy scanned the ships, but I had no idea what he was looking for. We passed subs and fighter jets, but Percy shook his head. "This one," he said, pointing at one. "This, I can drive."

"But…." Annabeth looked shocked.

"I can make it work. And Renee can use charmspeak if she needs to, but I don't think it will come to that."

"Okay, whatever you say." We clambered aboard the stepladder and Percy ran to the wheel with us quick on his heels.

"Argggh!" Yelled Blackbeard from somewhere behind us. "Those scalawags are a-boarding me vessel! Get em, lads!"

"We'll never escape in time!" Annabeth yelled.

But Percy said a word that didn't make any sense to either of us. "Mizzenmast!"

We ducked as the cabled flew past our heads. Suddenly, we were speeding along, and Percy was controlling the boat. I clapped and cheered. "Percy, you're amazing!" I laughed, forgetting about Clara for just a moment, forgetting we were on this wretched and precarious journey that we probably wouldn't live to tell about, forgetting that I'd have to face Clara's parents soon.

* * *

 **Clara POV:**

A few hours later, we reached an island. "Clara, there is destruction here. There has been some sort of fight."

"What does that mean?"

"I think it means that Percy is nearby, or that he was here earlier."

"Really?"

"We will find him." He patted my back and I laughed.

"Is Rainbow okay to carry us any longer?"

Tyson patted the hippocampus. "He will be fine. Can you go on?"

I flashed him the thumbs up sign. "Let's get going," I said happily.

* * *

 **A/N: I know you might be surprised about this quick of an update, but I'm off school now, and I'm happy to write as much as possible. If you see in the next few days that I've deleted** **Love Letters to my Roommate** **, please know that it is because I'm working on the redone version, which I hope will turn out more to my liking. I don't plan to abandon that one like some of my older ones.**

 **Also, I hope this chapter satisfies** **B00kFan** **and** **chocolate-writing-perfection** **more, they're some of my best readers and I hate to put cliffhangers as much as they hate to read them. (Well, they hate me for it. It's kind of fun to do, but also heartbreaking. After all, I'm not Rick Riordan….)**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review. Thanks.**

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	33. Charmspeak Saves Lives

**Renee POV**

Percy seemed really happy at his newfound power over water. But every so often, we'd look at each other and our eyes would sparkle with tears, and then we'd rush over to each other and hug and cry, and then separate, because we were too embarrassed to talk about our feelings about Clara and Tyson. Annabeth tried to keep watch with us, but sailing didn't agree with her, so she went below deck to lie down. If I could have slept, I would have followed her in a heartbeat.

I was angry. Something Circe had said made me so upset that I never wanted to go back to Hogwarts. Now that Clara was gone, I probably wouldn't anyway, but it was the fact that Circe was _right_ that really bugged me. Where would I be without magic? Were there really female heroes besides the small few that we named? And did my friends from the wizarding world _really_ not care about me? I hadn't thought about the lack of letters when Clara was by my side, but now I sunk lower into the pit of depression.

Annabeth came up in the middle of the night, during one of our crying/hugging points and looked at us. "Percy, Renee, you need rest. We'll be approaching the sirens soon. Sleep a bit. I'll keep watch."

Percy and I nodded somberly. He told her what to do and said a few commands to the boat, and then we went down.

"Will you tell me if you have any _dreams_?" I asked.

"Of course."

"Thanks." We fell into an uneasy sleep, close enough to each other to be slightly worried about privacy.

I woke up two hours later. Percy was still sound asleep, but I couldn't wait any longer. I needed to be with someone who was conscious, to talk to someone. I scribbled a quick note for Percy so that he wouldn't worry if he woke up and found me gone.

"You okay?" Annabeth asked when she saw me.

"Will you be my Clara? Now that I'll never have her back again?" I didn't even know what I was saying, really.

Annabeth frowned. "I'm really sorry, Renee."

"You and Percy are the only friends I have now."

"Don't you have people at Hogwarts?"

"Not according to Circe. They haven't written to me all summer."

"Don't listen to what she said, Renee! I'd imagine they've just been busy, or maybe it's been hard to write, or something."

"I don't know. Clara gave them Drachmas, though, in case of emergency. Annabeth, I'm scared. Percy says not to feel like the gods are against me, but if not them, then _who_?"

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "You told some people? About _us_? Renee, how could you? Without consulting me or Chiron?"

"Some of the teachers were already told. And we could trust Harry, Ron, and Hermione. But I promise, they're the only ones who know. And I _know_ they won't tell."

Annabeth glared at me, but suddenly there was a gust of wind that made her freeze. "We're approaching the Sirens," she whispered. "Stay here, maybe try to control the boat with charmspeak or something. I'll be right back."

I nodded. A minute later, she showed up, a groggy Percy in tow. "We're approaching the Sirens," she said again.

"Well, no problem. We'll just go below deck, stop up our ears, and-"

"I want to hear them."

Percy looked shocked, but I realized I had been expecting Annabeth to say that.

"Why?"

I understood her logic. "They say the sirens sing the truth about what you desire. They tell you things about yourself, things you didn't even realize. That's what's so enchanting. I want to hear them too, Percy. If you survive, you'll become wiser. We'll never have this chance again."

Percy looked at us fearfully. "Okay," he said slowly, "I get Annabeth, being the daughter of Athena. But for you, Renee, it just sounds wrong. I mean, you know what your heart's desire is right now, right? Isn't it Clara?"

"Percy, please," I asked, throwing just the right amount of charmspeak in. "I understand that it scares you, but I really want to hear them."

"Okay, fine." He went down to stop up his ears with the candle wax we had below deck, and came back with that and some rope.

"Good thinking," Annabeth said. "So we won't be tempted."

Percy tied us to the masts. "Tight?"

"Perfect," Annabeth told him.

"Renee?"

"It's cutting off my circulation, but it'll do."

Percy raised his eyebrows, but I smiled a bright Aphrodite smile, and he let me be.

* * *

It wasn't exactly a song, more of a melodic whispering. "Clara," I heard, along with "Harry," "Gill," and "love." But the strongest word of the song was "Clara." I looked at Annabeth to find that she had tears streaming down her face. I charmspeaked myself not to do anything rash, but I couldn't help crying and pleading with Percy as well.

"You're supposed to be my friend!" Annabeth yelled. "Percy, untie me! I must get to them!" He turned away from us.

Then, the images came. Clara's thick, wavy, golden hair. Harry, Ron, and Hermione making a place for me at the Gryffindor table. Kissing Gill. Ginny and Clara and me, sharing the Bertie Botts Beans on the train. My mother, welcoming me in. Killing the basilisk. Killing Zacharias Smith, the one who had made Clara feel so bad that night. Killing Voldemort and Luke and anyone who ever tried to hurt Clara ever again. David Bradley, willing to adopt me, beckoning me into his arms. Keeping Clara safe. Never having an anxiety attack ever again. Never feeling alone, always knowing I had Clara by my side.

I forced myself to look away, and look at Annabeth. But she wasn't there.

"Help!" I screamed, knowing he couldn't hear me anyway. "Help! Percy! Annabeth's gone to the Sirens!"

Somehow, he looked in my direction, and then saw that Annabeth was gone. "Stay here!" he yelled. "I'll get her!" I nodded to show that I understood, and indicated my still tightly bound hands. He looked satisfied enough, and he dove off the side of the boat. I gasped.

"Percy, NO!"

Of course, he didn't hear me. He swam toward Annabeth, but she was a strong swimmer as well. I tried to close my eyes and block everything out, but I realized I _had_ to watch. These were two of my best friends, and if I had to save them, so be it. I watched intently, but the images came again. I tried to shut them out, but it was no use. Percy had somehow felt the temptation to take one gob of wax from his left ear, and he heard the Sirens too. He grabbed for Annabeth, but it was too late. The Sirens had captured his attention too.

I slit the ropes with my wand, using it as a sword. I don't even know how I did that, but somehow my wand knew what I needed to do. I willed myself to do everything I could to save them, stuck my wand in my back pocket, and dove in after them.

I had never been a good swimmer, but somehow I was able to make it. I reached out for Percy, and the images came again. This time, though, they were a mixture of mine, Percy's, and Annabeth's.

Tyson and Clara and the Bradleys. Resting in the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ginny. Kissing Gill. Protecting Clara. Gossipping with Sandra for no particular reason. Percy and his mother and Poseidon and Tyson.

And then I saw what Annabeth was seeing. It was a man I could only assume was her father, sitting next to a woman who must have been Athena, and next to them was….Luke. They were having a picnic in Central Park, welcoming Annabeth in. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that the New York skyline was just different enough….Annabeth had built it.

I looked at "Luke" again and remembered everything. I _had_ to get them out of there. I wished I knew of any _useful_ spells, but the only one that came to mind was "expelliarmus."

And _that_ just might work. I thought for a minute, and then concentrated on the back of Percy's head. Annabeth was in too deep, but if I could pull Percy out of the trance, I knew he could take it from there. The expelliarmus charm was meant, I realized, to release the hold on something. And if I could release the hold that Percy's brain had on the Sirens, then he would be free.

"Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!" I couldn't do it _too_ hard, of course. That might make his brains spill out of his head. But Percy seemed to be coming out of it.

"Percy, get Annabeth!"

"I told you to stay on the ship!"

"You were too entranced. You'll thank me later, Percy, now come _on_!" I tugged on his arm, and he grabbed Annabeth. She screamed and kicked and pushed him away.

"Go underwater with her, Percy! It will deflect the sound!"

"But she won't be able to breathe!"

"Trust me! I'll meet you down there in a sec. Try to manipulate the bubbles! I'm trying to remember the spell!"

I thought for a second. Magic was too much to rely on as a demigod, but I did anyway. But I couldn't think of an incantation to make air under water.

Luckily, Percy seemed to be holding his own with the ocean's bubbles. I dove under, and he had Annabeth floating in a giant bubble. He lifted his head up for one second and said, "charmspeak," and then ducked back down.

I floated up and tried to think. What to charmspeak….I had no idea. And then I looked over at the rock and decided to try with the Sirens. They _were_ living beings, after all.

"Stop your song! Let us pass! And if, by chance, a girl with golden, wavy hair does come-" I felt tears building up again, and I swallowed hard, "Let her and whatever companions she may have pass as well. You hear me?"

I repeated myself until my throat ran dry, but the Sirens seemed to understand, and the song slowly ceased. Percy had hauled Annabeth back onto the ship, and was making course towards me. I swam towards him as well. He lowered the ladder, and I clambered on.

"Did it work?"

I realized his ears were still stopped up, which was even more impressive. I shot him the thumbs up. I noticed Annabeth, shivering and sopping wet.

 _Mom, this would be a_ great time _for some new clothes_.

 _Below deck_ , a voice in my head responded. _Percy won't need them, but there are enough for you and Annabeth._

 _Thanks, Mom._

 _No problem._

 _Is this real, Mom? Or is this just in my head?_

No response.

* * *

 **Clara POV:**

"We're approaching the Sirens, Tyson. I'm not sure what to do."

I wasn't sure how long we had been at sea. A day? Two? We were rationing the provisions from Tyson's sack, but we didn't know how much longer this could go on.

"Can you sunbeam in the sky? To see how close we are?"

"Not a bad idea. Throw me a water and an apple."

"It is our last one. I was kind of hoping to save it for Rainbow." He held up one tiny apple.

"Fine, then. A chocolate bar will do."

He dug one out of the bag, and I was happy that it was one of the minis. I only needed minimal strength for this, and I was glad he hadn't given me one of the big Hershey bars that we were saving for the biggest emergencies only.

"Okay, here goes. Tyson, stay here with Rainbow. Right here."

"Okay. I will stay here with Rainbow."

I downed the chocolate bar and the water in one big bite/gulp. Then I focused hard on the sun, and a beam showed up at my feet. I jumped a little and rocketed into the air. It would have been kind of fun if I wasn't terrified and without my best friend.

I saw a giant rock that jutted into the air, and what just might have been the mast of a ship going past, but I heard nothing. The Sirens were, for whatever reason, silent.

I jumped again, and the sunbeam lowered me back down.

"They're eerily silent. Do you think I can control Rainbow on a sunbeam?"

"I would say you could try. Is that alright with you, Rainbow?" The hippocampus whinnied softly, as if to say, "if you must."

The plan was for me to create a sunbeam large enough for both me and Rainbow, and then at the last second, Tyson would pull me back on to the hippocampus. I concentrated all my energy on the sun, and even prayed slightly to my father, and somehow it worked. I felt Tyson's strong hands on my back, pulling me up, and then we were off.

The sunbeam didn't really go too high, with our weight, but it swiftly skimmed the water. As we got closer in range, the Sirens remained silent, which was really strange. That is, unless…. _Renee_! She had to be doing this, she was the only person I knew whose charmspeak was this strong. I couldn't think of any other reason. She hadn't lost hope that I was alive, then. I smiled for the first time in days.

"What is making you happy?"

"I think Renee used her charmspeak to stop the Sirens for us, somehow. She's powerful, you know. I'd hate to be her enemy."

"Did you see anything else when you scouted?"

"Call me crazy, but I think I saw….a ship."

* * *

 **Renee POV**

For once, Mom had given us better clothes than tank tops. They were, of course, stylish, but they were tie-dye crop tops and blue denim shorts. I threw one on and brought one up to Annabeth.

"Thanks, Renee. Your mom is amazing."

"I had to ask her for this one."

Percy came over to us, and I saw what Aphrodite meant about him not needing a new outfit. He didn't even look like he had been in the water.

"Well," he asked. "Do you feel wiser?"

"I didn't realize how powerful the temptation could be," Annabeth whispered. "I thought it would be fine. How did you manage, Renee?"

"Charmspeak, I think."

"It's _that_ powerful?"

"It stopped the Sirens."

She stared at me, gaping.

Percy spoke up. "I saw the way you rebuilt Manhattan, Annabeth. With Luke and your parents. And Renee, I saw what you saw with Clara."

We both gasped. "You _saw_ that?" I asked.

"Sorry. It's a beautiful Manhattan, Annabeth. And Renee, if Clara and Tyson are alive, they'll find us too. I know it in my heart."

Annabeth winced. "They showed me my fatal flaw. Hubris."

"That beige paste you put on pita?" Percy scrunched up his face.

"That's hummus, Seaweed Brain. Hubris is way worse," Annabeth explained.

"What could be worse than hummus?"

"Hubris means deadly pride. Thinking you can do anything better than anyone else….even the gods."

I blinked. "You feel that way?"

She looked at the ground. "Don't you ever feel," she said softly, "what if the world really _is_ messed up? What if we _could_ do it all over again from scratch. No more war. No more summer reading homework?"

Percy and I looked at each other. "We're listening," I told her.

"I mean, the West represents a lot of the best things mankind ever did-that's why the fire's still burning. That's why Olympus is still around. But sometimes you just see the bad stuff, you know? And then you start thinking like Luke, and you begin to wonder, what would it be like if _you_ could redo it? Like you could do a better job if _you_ ran the world?"

Percy and I looked at each other. "No," He said. "Me running the world would be a complete and total disaster."

"Same here," I echoed.

"Well, you're lucky, then. Your fatal flaw isn't hubris."

"Well, then what is it?" Percy and I asked at the same time.

"I don't know. Every hero has one."

I had a sudden thought. "Can your fatal flaw be….a person?"

Annabeth looked at me in wonder. "It's very rare. I don't know of any heroes who have that, but I _have_ heard of it."

"Then I don't think I have one anymore," I said, and then burst into tears. I started running, and I didn't even know where I was going. I just wanted to get away from my feelings.

I happened to glance up at the setting sun, and what I saw….well, if you could feel amazed, puzzled, and shocked at the same time, that would have been me then. I could have sworn I saw a girl with wavy, golden hair, riding over the sunset. I fell asleep knowing that there was even the slightest possibility that she was out there still, and with that knowledge, I could live another day.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Oh, the irony! The irony! I'm so evil, keeping them so separated and just a stone's throw away….oh well, such is the life of a writer. And they'll be reunited within the next chapter or so, so….**_

 _ **I haven't figured out where to put the explanation that Annabeth gives about Thalia and the cyclopes, but I'll find time to fit that in somewhere. I'm so sorry if you were looking forward to that. I'm still figuring it out.**_

 _ **Thanks for the reviews even though I've been away for so long. I'm excited to resume this journey with Clara and Renee. And I PROMISE I'll do some**_ _ **Love Letters to my Roommate**_ _**soon, although it might not be called that after I'm done. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.**_


	34. Polyphemus' Island

**Renee POV**

"Throw a pillow at her?"

"What?"

"Just do it. It gets some of them up."

"Oh my gods, Percy, who have you tried that with?"

"Um…. _nobody_."

I pressed the pillow against my face because I still wanted to sleep. Also, I knew that one time last year, he had used it on Annabeth. Or so he told Clara (who told me, naturally). Apparently it had been on their quest last year. I shipped Percabeth. I just did, and for no reason at all. So that made me a little uncomfortable.

"I think she actually _is_ awake," Annabeth said in mock surprise. "Renee, we've reached it. The island of Polyphemus."

"Go away." I was still mad about what she had said about fatal flaws.

"Don't you _want_ to save the camp?"

"Not if Clara won't be there."

"We can't just _leave_ you here."

"Fine. Just give me a minute."

I rose out of the bed and glared at the sunrise, which reminded me of Clara. And then I remembered what I had seen as I fell asleep, remembered there was still hope. But I would keep my suspicions to myself.

I ambled out to join my friends, in much better spirits than I had been before.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the island. I hadn't exactly expected it to look like a perfect Caribbean postcard. I breathed in and I could feel the Fleece radiating around me.

"If we remove it, will the island die?"

"No, it'll just go back to….whatever it was before," Annabeth said. Percy and I nodded. We approached the vivid mango trees and the lime green grass. She frowned. "There's supposed to be a guardian….a dragon or something," she puzzled.

That's when a deer darted out of the forest. The sheep glanced up, and then the deer was covered in a wool tornado. And then it was gone, with just a pile of bones in its place. I covered my eyes.

"How do we get Grover?" I shivered a little at the thought of being up there. "They're like wooly piranhas."

But Annabeth was looking elsewhere. "Percy, Renee, look! It's the other rowboat from the _CSS Birmingham_!"

"Could it be….?" Percy trailed off.

"Only one way to find out. Know any spells, Renee?" Annabeth looked at me.

"One, but I've never used it on a person."

"What do you mean?" Percy gulped. "Renee, are you sure this is safe?"

"Totally. I mean, I think. Watch." I pointed my wand at the rowboat. " _Wingardium levi-_ o _-sa_!"

Hermione would have been proud, at least according to something Ginny had told me about Ron.

"That's cool, but I don't really want to-" Percy started, but Annabeth cut him off.

"It isn't really flying, Seaweed Brain, just a little levitation. Better than climbing. How will you get up there, though?"

I hadn't thought of that. But I had an idea. I glanced at the levitating rowboat, pulling it down with my hand.

"You can't be _serious_!"

"Shut up, Wise Girl. Let me try it."

"Fine," Annabeth huffed.

She and Percy stepped into the boat. "Now, I'll need you guys to pull me up once it's about to my chest. Can you do that?"

"I think so," Percy said, and Annabeth nodded in resigned agreement.

" _Wingardium leviosa. Wingardium leviosa. Wingardium levi-_ oh!" I felt strong hands on my back as Annabeth and Percy pulled me up. We floated up to the top of the cliff, Percy gripping the side for dear life. Annabeth looked sick, but I just beamed.

We got out on the fresh grass and looked around. I quickly grabbed the boat again and motioned to some bushes. Annabeth nodded and slipped on her invisibility hat. A minute later, she said, "All clear."

"Garrr!" Bellowed another voice. We looked around, knowing it must have come from Polyphemus. Annabeth found him first.

"Look," she hissed. We turned, silent as statues. The ledge we were on was narrower than it had looked from the ground. The noise had come from right below us.

"You're a feisty one," the deep voice roared.

"Challenge me!" I gasped as I realized it was Clarisse. "Give me back my sword and I'll fight you!"

Deep, booming laughter. We looked down and realized we were right above the cyclops' cave. Below us stood Polyphemus and Grover in something that looked like a wedding dress. I scowled at the sight. But then I saw Clarisse, tied up upside down over a boiling pot, and my scowl turned to a grimace. I half hoped to see Clara, but at least it meant she had died peacefully in the water, instead of….here.

"Hmm…." Polyphemus pondered. "Eat loudmouthed girl now, or wait for wedding feast. What does my bride think?"

I could see Grover panicking. "Um, I'm not hungry now, dear. I think-"

Clarisse cut him off. "Your _bride_? _Grover_?"

I wondered if charmspeak worked as telepathy. _Clarisse, stop! Stop!_

It didn't work, but she did look up. And then I mentally slapped myself. My charmspeak was probably strong enough for telepathy, but Clarisse had made herself immune to it. But she must have felt _something_. It was too confusing to think about.

Polyphemus glowered. "What 'Grover?'"

"The satyr!"

I saw Percy's horrified look. _Shut up, Clarisse!_

"Oh!" Grover grimaced. "Put her down, dear. Her brain is boiling from that pot!"

The cyclops squinted, as if he were trying to see Clarisse more clearly. The smell overcame me, and I blinked a few times. That guy was _rancid_!

"What satyr? You bring me a satyr? Satyrs good eating!"

"No, you overgrown pile of dung, _that_ satyr! In the dress!"

"I'll kill her," Percy muttered. I put a finger to my lips.

Polyphemus turned to grover and ripped off the wedding dress and veil. "I don't see very well-not since the last hero poked my eye out-but YOU'RE NO LADY CYCLOPS!"

I shuddered. But Grover was smart. I supposed he had to be, if Jade was in love with him. Okay, that wasn't confirmed, but I _had_ noticed it.

"Oh!" he squealed as the cyclops held him up. "Don't eat me raw! I know a nice recipe! And if you eat me raw you'll get food poisoning!"

"Recipe?"

"Oh yes. With mango chutney. Just go pick a few mangoes from over there in that forest beyond your sheep! Then I'll tell you the rest."

"Grilled satyr with mango chutney. That might be better." Then he rounded on Clarisse. "You a satyr too?"

"No, you giant slug! I'm a girl! Daughter of Ares! Now let me go so I can rip your arms off!"

"Rip my arms off." The monster smirked.

"And shove them down your throat!"

"You got spunk."

"Let me down!"

He picked up Grover and threw him deeper into the cave. "Wedding postponed til sundown."

"But….you're still getting married? Who's the bride?" Grover sounded hurt and shocked.

Polyphemus looked at the boiling pot, and Clarisse gasped. "No! You can't be serious! I'm not-"

I tried to think of something to do, but the cyclops plucked Clarisse off her post and threw her in deeper with Grover, then walked over and bound their arms. "I come back at sunset for the main event! Have to go graze sheepies now. But then we'll get married and have satyr as the main course!"

He called the sheep by name-"Tammany, Beltbuster, Lockhart…." I was too terrified to laugh at the name "Lockhart."

"Now, what is mango?" He grumbled to himself, leaving us alone with a pot of boiling water and a six ton boulder.

Annabeth jumped down, and reached for us. Percy went first, and then I dived after him. I didn't even care if I lived or died anymore, as long as we rescued Grover and Clarisse, and got the Fleece to save the camp. Annabeth frowned at my recklessness.

We banged and pulled on the rock for what seemed like hours, but if Grover and Clarisse could hear us, we couldn't hear them.

"This is useless. We need a plan to get in."

" _Expelliarmus_!" I screamed, hoping it would somehow just eject our friends. No luck. " _Wingardium leviosa_? _Lumos_?" I had really lost hope if I thought a spell that brought _light_ would do any good. " _Alohomora?_ "

"Try charmspeak," Percy suggested.

I laughed dryly. "It's powerful, but not enough to work on inanimate objects."

"Just try," Annabeth pleaded.

"Okay, fine." I scrunched up my face in concentration. "Open."

"That wasn't English," Percy told me, frowning.

"Even _I_ didn't recognize that language," Annabeth added.

I blushed. The last time I had to force something to open, I had to use parseltongue. "Oops. I'll explain that later.

"Open."

"Wait," said Annabeth. "I've got something." She whispered her plan to us.

"Why _Nobody_ as the name?" I asked.

"Odysseus used it when he first blinded Polyphemus. He should still have a grudge against it."

"Ah."

* * *

"Don't let go!"

Easy for her to say. _She_ wasn't hanging off the belly of a sheep named _Lockhart_. Curse the gods, why were the fates so cruel?

The sheep didn't care, though, and it wasn't _too_ hard. In fact, I liked this Lockhart better than my ex-professor, so that was something.

"Hasenpfeffer!" Polyphemus said, patting the sheep three in front of me. "Einstein. Widget….eh there, Widget."

Crap, that was Percy's sheep. "Putting on some extra mutton there?" My heart raced. "Don't worry. Soon Polyphemus will eat you for breakfast." And just like that, Percy was in.

If Polyphemus noticed anything about my sheep, he didn't let on, and Lockhart followed Widget into the cave.

I hoped Annabeth would do her thing soon, and at just that second, I heard her voice.

"Hello, ugly!"

Polyphemus looked around, startled. "Who said that?"

"Nobody!"

"Nobody! I remember you! You poked my eye out!"

"You're too stupid to remember anybody! Let alone Nobody!"

Polyphemus threw a boulder at Annabeth's voice, and for a terrible moment, there was silence. I shuddered, but then, "And you haven't learned to throw any better, either, you big lump!"

"Come here." Polyphemus boomed. "Let me kill you, Nobody."

"You can't kill nobody, you big oaf," Annabeth taunted. "You'll have to come and find me."

Annabeth was right that Polyphemus still held a grudge about that name. He hadn't even stopped to consider that Annabeth was female, whereas the last Nobody was male. But then, he had been trying to marry Grover, so he must not have had the whole male/female thing figured out.

I saw Percy hop off of Widget, and I followed suit. We searched the room, but couldn't see Grover and Clarisse anywhere. I glanced at the last place I had heard Annabeth's voice, but she must have been on the move again. _Good._

"How do we navigate this place?" I whispered. "Have your dreams told you anything?"

"Not sure. Stay close."

I nodded, and eventually we found the spinning room, amidst the piles of sheep junk and rams' horns. Grover was trying to cut Clarisse's bonds with a pair of safety scissors, and very obviously failing.

"It's no good," he moaned. "This rope's like iron!"

Percy pulled out Riptide. "Grover," Clarisse cried. "You've been working at it for _hours_!"

Suddenly, she glanced over and saw us. "Percy? Renee? You're supposed to be blown up!"

"Nice to see you too," I said.

"Perrrcy! You heard me! You came! But where's Clarrra?"

Percy glanced at me. "Tell you later," I told him. I knew it was hard, but I had to _save_ them first.

"Where's Annabeth?" Clarisse asked.

"She's coming. Hold still!"

He walked up and uncapped the pen that was Riptide, then slashed at the ropes.

"Thanks."

A thought struck me. "Clarisse, was anyone else on your lifeboat?" I wasn't going to give up hope yet, not for me _or_ for Percy.

Clarisse looked surprised. "No. Just me. Everyone else on the _CSS Birmingham_ ….I didn't even know you guys made it out."

Just then, there was a terrified scream. "I got Nobody!" Polyphemus roared. "Nasty invisible girl. Already got feisty one for a wife, so I guess you gotta be grilled with mango chutney."

Annabeth struggled, but she looked dazed. She had a nasty cut on her head, and her eyes were glassy.

"I'll rush him," Percy whispered to us. "Renee, lead them to the ship-"

"No!" We cut him off. "We'll take him together!" Clarisse growled.

"Yeah!" Grover said, and then he gasped. "Did I just _agree_ with _Clarisse_?" He mumbled to me. I shrugged.

"Alright," Percy said. "Attack plan Macedonia."

We'd all taken the same training at camp. Actually, it was kind of similar to the way Clara and I had beaten Clarisse at the inflatable fencing on the _Andromeda Jean_ , although I'd never thought about it that way before.

Percy would do the distraction, and the three of us would do the attack. I pulled out my sword and handed it to Grover, who shot me a grateful and puzzled look. I waved my wand at him and he understood.

"Hey, ugly," Percy called.

" _Another_ one? Who _are_ you?"

"I'm the one who insulted you."

" _You_ are Nobody?"

"That's right, you smelly bucket of nose drool. Now put her down and get over here! I want to stab your eye out again!"

"RAAR!" the monster bellowed, dropping Annabeth on her head onto a pile of boulders. Grover ran over to her, his hooves clip-clopping rapidly on the ground. He offered me my sword, but I showed my wand again.

He nodded and gathered her up, throwing me her invisibility hat instead. I jumped up and caught it. Luckily, or unluckily, I guess, Polyphemus was still dealing with Percy and Clarisse and hadn't noticed anything.

"Fall back!" Percy yelled. We ran for the bridge, Polyphemus lumbering along behind us. We had to reach the other side and get to Grover and Annabeth, that was our only hope.

"Grover," I yelled. "Use my sword!" Grover nodded to show he understood. "Faster, guys!"

Grover started sawing at the rope bridge.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I saw the commotion on the rope bridge on the cliff. "Looks like we found them," I told Tyson. "For better or worse, anyway. Feed Rainbow the apple, and then I'll beam us up."

"Are you sure you will be able to carry my weight?"

"Are you kidding? I just carried us on a _hippocampus_!"

"Oh. Right."

I had recovered my strength. I didn't even need to concentrate at all this time. I tenderly grasped Tyson's hand and we jumped onto the beam and whizzed to the top of the cliff.

"Stay here. Pick up that boulder and throw." I noticed the cyclops picking up Percy.

"But Percy is in trouble."

"I know. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Don't throw until absolutely necessary!"

I sped off, leaving Tyson to defend from afar.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

I thought I saw a flash of light around Polyphemus, but it must have been my imagination. There would be no savior from afar. I had to act _now_.

"Put him down!"

"Gah! Charmspeak! You think that works on _me_ , silly mortal girl?"

There was another flash and I swear I saw golden hair. I blinked and it was gone. But Polyphemus seemed to notice it too. He paused for a moment, and it was just long enough for Percy to wriggle out of the cyclops' reach.

In a flash, he had his sword out, and he stabbed Polyphemus. The monster howled in pain, but Percy was quick.

"Please," he said. "We only came for the Fleece."

"What are you doing?" Clarisse screeched. "Kill him!"

"No, Clarisse, he can't! He's a son of Poseidon too!" Clarisse and I were locked in an intense staredown for a minute before a beam of light broke our concentration. Then I was _sure_ Clara was there somewhere. But she could travel as fast as, well, light, when she wanted to on her sunbeams.

"Fine. Take the Fleece, prize of my collection, and go in peace, mortal!"

"Don't trust him!" Grover yelled. "He's a cyclops!"

Percy and I locked eyes for a sec, but Percy shook his head. "I'm going to back away very slowly," Percy told Polyphemus. "One false move…."

I looked up and finally saw Clara, about twenty feet above my shoulder. She put a finger to her lips and then sped off, but I knew we had a backup plan if Percy had made a wrong guess. Clarisse, Grover, and I stood with our weapons ready.

Percy stepped back, and Polyphemus shot up like a cobra. "Foolish mortal!" He growled at Percy. "Take my Fleece? Ha! I eat you first!"

Percy screamed, and Clara darted down from wherever she had been flashing. Suddenly, a boulder the size of a basketball went sailing into the cyclops' throat. He dropped Percy in surprise, and Clara rushed to him. She caught him just in time.

"Thanks, Clara. Clara! And Tyson!" His look of amazement was only rivaled by Clarisse's. "How?"

"Later," Tyson said, noticing Annabeth..

"I'll get the Fleece!" Clara yelled. Then she held out a hand to me. "Coming?"

I pulled myself onto the sunbeam, and we sped off towards the tree that held the Fleece. Clara plucked it off the tree and zoomed back to Percy. She threw it down to him and hugged me tightly.

"Renee! I was so worried we wouldn't make it in time!"

"I thought I'd never see you again!"

We stood there for a minute, not willing to let go.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

"Hurry!" Clarisse called. "Clara, use your other Apollo powers!"

"I'm not a healer, Clarisse. And I think the Fleece is doing it's job."

Indeed, Percy had thrown it over Annabeth and she was reviving, a little bit. We landed and ran to help the others.

Annabeth opened her eyes and looked at Grover. "You're not….married?" She smiled weakly.

"My friends talked me out of it."

"Annabeth, keep the Fleece around you," Renee said. "Just in case you're not fully healed. Can you stand?"

She stood up, and then almost fell. I ran to her aid. "Oh. _Not_ fully healed," Annabeth moaned.

"Clara, how many of us can you carry?" Clarisse demanded. "I mean, on your sunbeam?"

"Um…."

"Take Annabeth and go! Percy, where's the ship?"

"We saw it coming up," I lied. "Back there, right?"

"Yeah, right beyond those rocks," Percy said.

"You don't know where it is, do you?" Renee asked fearfully. She knew me too well. "I'm coming too. Run after us. Lead them, Percy!"

She jumped up on the beam before Annabeth or I had time to say anything. Clarisse, Percy, and Tyson were hot on our heels.

Percy dove into the water and tried to control it, pushing the ship to rise.

"He's gotten really good at that," I commented.

"Yeah."

"There's the ship. Is that….the _Queen Anne's Revenge_? _Blackbeard_ 's ship?"

Renee started to explain, but Annabeth yelled, "No time! Look!"

I beamed them up quickly, and we watched in horror as Polyphemus threw boulders at Percy and Tyson. But the sons of Poseidon seemed to be holding their own. Clarisse sped toward us, Grover close behind. I'd never before appreciated how fast some people could swim. Renee lowered the ladder, and they climbed on, dripping all over the deck.

"Lucky sunbeams," Clarisse grumbled.

"Mom will give us some new clothes soon," Renee replied calmly, calmer than I'd ever seen her around Clarisse. "I'm sure of it."

"Okay. How do we help them?"

Was she actually looking to _me_ for ideas? "Just stay," I said, knowing in my gut it was right. "They can handle it."

We stood in silence until-"Yeah, Jackson! In your face, cyclops!"

We glared at Clarisse as Polyphemus threw a boulder in our direction, but she continued. "Yeah, yeah. You throw like a wimp. Teach you to try marrying _me_!"

"Shut up!" Renee yelled. "Shut up!"

"Percy! Percy! Percy!"

"Gag her," Annabeth whispered to me. I nodded, but couldn't find anything to gag her with.

But Polyphemus had thrown another boulder, and it reached us. I had just enough time to summon a sunbeam and yell, "Hop on!" before the ship reached the water. Clarisse heaved Annabeth up, but Renee was the only one who made it onto the sunbeam.

I saw Percy flailing in the water. Then Tyson yelled, "Rainbow! We need help!" and I felt saved.

Rainbow showed up, with three friends in tow, almost instantly. "Clarisse, over here!" I yelled, speeding toward her. "Annabeth, come on!"

I reached Clarisse. Renee and I took Annabeth from her hands. We hurried down to the nearest hippocampus, which was thankfully big enough for the three of us. I might be able to beam with someone later, but now I just wanted to make sure everyone was safe.

Annabeth sank into my lap and fell asleep. Rainbow, who was bearing Clarisse, leaned forward for me to grab his mane, completing a chain of hippocampi that safely encompassed us. Renee held on to my hand, and we fell asleep together as well.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So yeah, sorry that was a busy chapter. I wanted to include the whole Polyphemus scene, but that may have made it a little long. Oh well.**_

 _ **Let me know at any time if you're at all bothered by how much I'm switching POV between Clara and Renee. I know it can be a little confusing, and if people are having trouble following it, I'd be happy to reduce the number of POV switches in the next few chapters.**_

 _ **Anyway, back on the**_ **Princess Andromeda** _**in the next chapter, then the Chariot races and Thalia, and then I finally get to start with**_ **Prisoner of Azkaban** _ **. I have so many plans for that! Like, I'm super excited. Renee will learn a little more about her history and be reunited with her friends. I'm looking forward to writing it. Also the start of the Renee/Gill relationship and we'll find out who Clara's into as well. I'm excited and I hope you are too.**_

 _ **Anyway, please review. Thanks.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	35. From Miami on Home

**Renee POV**

Clara nudged me. "Renee, it's time to get up."

"Uh?"

"We've reached land. Miami, I think. But the hippocampi are acting funny."

Sure enough, our rides were splashing around in circles. I glanced at the others. "This is as far as they'll take us," Percy said to no one in particular. "We'll have to swim or beam the rest of the way.

"Does anyone need my assistance?" Clara asked, looking around. Nobody seemed to, but she offered her hand to me anyway.

"Really, Clara, you don't have to-"

"Nonsense. We've been apart for too long."

We took off and landed on the shore, Percy and the others not far behind.

"Now how about those clothes?" Clarisse asked.

"I don't know, Clarisse, I'm sorry. I thought…."

But her clothing was transforming into a deep red dress sundress. "Not my first choice," she commented. "But dry."

Annabeth's and Grover's were also transformed. Percy and Tyson would dry off, and I realized mine and Clara's were also changing. I grinned, but then Annabeth picked up the _Miami Herald_.

"July eighteenth? We need to get the Fleece back _tonight_!"

"No way! That can't be possible!" Clarisse moaned. But timed traveled differently in monstrous places. She sank to the ground. "Stranded. No transportation. No money. This is exactly what the Oracle said would happen! It's all your fault, Jackson!"

Annabeth and I rounded on her. "Percy's fault? How?" Annabeth demanded.

"You're so mean, Clarisse!" I added.

"Well if you hadn't interfered-"

"Stop it!" Percy yelled. "Clarisse, what did the Oracle say?"

Clarisse glared at him. "Fine, I'll tell you." She said at last.

" _You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone_

 _You shall find what you seek and make it your own_

 _But despair for your life entombed within stone_

 _And fail without friends, to fly home alone."_

"Ouch," Grover murmured.

I could see Percy's brain working. "No, Clarisse, that's not it at all."  
She looked at him, shocked. "Really? Then what-?"

"Does anyone have cash?"

Annabeth, Grover, Clara, Clarisse, and I searched our pockets and came up empty. Percy sighed.

"Cash?" Tyson asked. "You mean like, green paper?"

"Yeah."

"Like in duffel bags?"

"We lost those bags days a-g-g….how?"

"I held on to mine. Remember, Clara? The food."

She nodded slowly. "I thought it was a feed bag for Rainbow," he said. "But no food. Only paper."

Percy rushed to the nearest taxi. "Clarisse, get yourself to Miami airport right away!" He took the Fleece, which had transformed into a university jacket with a golden Omega on it, from Annabeth and thrust it into Clarisse's arms.

"But-" Clarisse stuttered. She looked shocked, and so did Annabeth.

"It's your quest. It meant that you'd fail without having friends there, meaning you'd need us, but that you'd have to fly home alone. Go!"

"I won't fail."

"Not failing would be good."

The taxi sped off, and Annabeth looked at Percy in shock. "You're going to trust _her_?"

"Percy is nice," Tyson said.

"Percy is _too_ nice."

* * *

 **Clara POV**

"Come on," I urged. "Let's find another way home." I was about to start walking when I found a sword at my throat. Renee screamed.

"Hey, cuz," Luke sneered. "Welcome back to the States."

Percy snarled. He was being threatened by…. _Allison_ , the Laistrygonian from my elementary school. My heart sank.

Luke's bear thugs appeared next to him. One grabbed Renee and Grover in one arm and Annabeth in the other. The other bear tried to snatch up Tyson, but he roared and threw a suitcase at him.

"Percy, tell your giant to back down, or I'll have Oreius bash your friends' heads together."

The bear grinned and raised Annabeth, Grover, and Renee, a little higher. They kicked and screamed.

"What do you want, Luke?" Percy growled.

Luke gestured, and I saw what should have been obvious: the _Princess Andromeda_ was the largest ship in the port. "Why, to offer my hospitality, of course." He grinned evilly

We followed him. It's not like we had much choice. It was either that or watch our friends die.

"So," Luke said, once he was sure we were surrounded by all his monstrous friends, "the Fleece. Where is it?" He poked Grover's jeans with the tip of his sword.

"Hey! That's real goat fur under there!"

"Sorry, old friend. Just give me the Fleece and you can go back to your little nature quest."

"Blaa-ha-ha!" Grover protested. "Some old friend!"

Luke ignored him and turned calmly to me. He and Allison had switched places, so now it was Allison ready to attack me. "Maybe you didn't hear me, Sunshine Girl. Where. Is. The. Fleece?"

I smirked, unable to resist myself. "We sent it ahead."

"Yeah. You're too late!" Renee piped up.

"What? You couldn't have…." he paused to think about it. "Wait….Clarisse?"

Percy nodded resiliently.

"You trusted….you gave….?"

Percy locked eyes with him. "Yep."

"Agrius!"

The bear twin who wasn't holding my friends jumped. "What?"

"Get below and prepare my steed! I need to fly to Miami Airport, fast!"

"B-but boss-"

"Do it or I'll feed you to the drakon!"

The giant bear scurried down the stairs. His crew looked around strangely. And I saw the fountains creating rainbows against the sun behind us and suddenly had an idea. I fished around in my pocket because I knew it had been there….one single Drachma. I was going to expose Luke in the best way possible.

"You've been toying with us all along," I said, surprising him. "You wanted _us_ to find the Fleece and bring it to you, so that you wouldn't have to do the dirty work!"

I chucked the Drachma at him, and he ducked it easily, just as I knew he would. I hoped Iris would accept a silent prayer. _Oh goddess, accept my offering_.

It seemed to work, so I continued. "You tricked us all, Luke. Even DIONYSUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD!"

"This is no time for heroics, _Clarissa_! Now drop your puny little stick and don't summon your arrows; I can have you killed sooner rather than later!"

Renee had caught on to what I was doing. "Who poisoned Thalia's tree, Luke?"

"I did, of course! But I already told you that. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus!"

"So Chiron had nothing to do with it?" Percy had caught on as well.

"Of course not! You know he'd never do that. The old fool wouldn't have had the guts!"

"You call it guts," I hissed. "Endangering the whole camp and putting everyone at risk?"

"You don't understand the half of it! I was going to let you use the Fleece…. _after_ I was done with it."

Percy glanced at me, but I wouldn't let that puzzling piece of information deter me right now. "You were going to heal Kronos."

"It would have made the process a lot faster, would have multiplied the rate by a tenfold. But you and your _pathetic_ little team have only slowed us down a bit. You'll never _stop_ us."

"And so you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up," Renee seethed, " _just_ so you could go and help Kronos destroy the gods?"

"I've already told you this! Why do you keep asking?" Luke demanded.

"Because," I said, "we want the _whole_ audience to hear you."

"Audience? What audience?" Luke slowly turned around.

Just above the pool, there was an Iris-message version of Dionysus, Chiron, and the whole camp at dinner.

"Well," Mr. D. said, "it appears we're having some unplanned dinner entertainment."

"Mr. D., you heard Luke! You heard him say he poisoned the tree, _not_ Chiron."

"Yes…."

"The Iris message could be a trick," Tantalus warned.

"I fear not. It appears that I will have to reinstate Chiron as our activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse's pinochle games."

Tantalus grabbed at his cheeseburger, and it didn't bolt away. "I got it," he said in amazement.

"Tantalus, we are no longer in need of your services. You may leave now."

"B-but….no!" He cried as the underworld sucked him up and the cheeseburger flew out of his hand.

The whole camp clapped. But then Luke and Allison rounded on us. "Kronos was right. You're an unreliable weapon, Percy. You and Clara need to be replaced."

Someone pressed a button, and the reinforcements showed up instantly. Luke grinned. "You'll never leave this boat alive!"

"Stop," Percy called. "There's two of us. And there's two of you. Why not take us on alone? You know you're capable of it."

Luke curled his lip. The soldiers, who had been about to attack, waited for his order. Agrius burst onto the deck. "Your steed is ready, sir."

The pegasus whinnied and kicked. I could tell she hated it here, and I wished I could rescue her. But I had to focus on the matter at hand.

Luke looked at us. "I told you last summer, Percy. You can't bait me into a fight."

"And you keep avoiding one."

Luke looked at his men, and I saw we had him trapped. If he backed down, he would look weak. But if he stayed and fought us, he would lose valuable time chasing after Clarisse. Finally he said, "I'll kill you quickly, then. Allison, show them your true form!"

Ugh. Allison was about to get _ugly_.

I watched as the girl changed, but she didn't get taller like she had the last time. Instead, she became shorter, a smug look growing on her face.

"I'm not really a Laistrygonian, Clara. But I can morph into one quite easily, just as I can change form between Allison-" she shifted back- "and Ariana."

"And let me guess," Renee yelled. "'Melissa is really _Morgana_?"

"Correct. But you see, we can't attack you at school, you see. Kaylee knows it could blow our cover. But if we kill you now…."

She whipped out her wand. "Morgana and I," she said slowly, "are what you would call Metamorphmagi. It means we can change our bodies at will. And once Luke found us, he showed us how to become Laestrygonians, as well as so many other types of monsters. So which form would you like to fight?"

"I'd like to fight Ariana. Just you. No strings attached."

"Well, that's just too bad for you then, isn't it." She morphed into a harpy.

I had an idea. If I could just keep the focus on Ariana, the others might be able to escape. But at that moment, Renee stepped up to join me.

"You're twelve, right _Ali_?"

"Yes. Stop with those old stupid nicknames, _Rennie_."

"Juniper came when we were seven. So you've been involved in this for….since you were….how?"

"Easy. It was really the Parkinsons who did everything. Pansy has no idea, of course, she's just a brat. And her Death Eater parents were too clueless to _really_ figure anything out. So it was Kaylee, when her dad had business with the American ministry. They came to New York, and fifteen year old Luke had six year old Kaylee entranced. From then on, Luke flew out to England often, and two years later, Luke made an alliance with Kronos against the gods. By the time we entered Hogwarts last year, we were fully involved in the plan."

"Why are you saying this?" Luke, who had been fighting Percy, screeched in alarm. "Kill her!"

"Of course. Gladly. Can't have them blabbing to all their little friends, now, can we?" She pointed her wand at me.

I pulled out mine and called my bow. I hadn't had much of a chance to use it, but it felt right in my hands.

"Avada-" she yelled, but before she could finish the spell, she found an arrow lodged in her arm. She looked around, shocked. Another arrow had landed straight in Oreius' mouth, saving Annabeth from certain death. Ariana immediately rounded on me, but I was just as shocked as she was.

There was a ferocious clattering of hooves, and I heard Tyson delightedly yell, "Ponies!" I looked up to see about a dozen centaurs, Chiron in the lead, attacking Luke and his posse.

My mind had trouble processing everything, so I grabbed for Renee's hand. She took it, just like old times. We were surrounded by centaurs of all different colors and coats. Some wore brightly colored T-shirts with Day-Glo letters spelling out, "Party Ponies: South Florida Chapter." Some had googly eye glasses or peace sign necklaces. One had his face painted like a comanche warrior. Another was bare chested and painted entirely green. It was so much to take in.

A centaur shot a custom made arrow with a fist on the end at Luke. It punched him over and over. Monsters screamed as they were hit by paintball guns. Ariana got a facefull of green goo. Morgana, who had been disguised as "Melissa," was shot with something pink and spiky. We watched, gaping.

Percy dove into the pool, baiting Luke. A golden palomino hoisted us onto his back as Percy came back up. Luke followed him.

"Attack, you fools!" He cried, and I knew that even with Tyson, we'd be surrounded if we didn't move _fast_.

A centaur had ran up to Percy. "Dude, get your large friend!"

"Tyson!" The cyclops stopped trying to tie two of Luke's men together, and bounded onto the centaur, who groaned from the weight.

"Dude, do the words, 'low carb diet' mean anything to you?"

Renee laughed. Then we were off, speeding through the Miami streets, and everything was blurred. This was my sunbeams on my best days. I have no idea what the mortals thought as we gallopped past. It was totally exhilarating.

Finally, we found ourselves at a trailer park. All the trailers were horse trailers, and they were decked out with televisions, radios, mini refrigerators, and mosquito netting. This was the home of the Party Ponies, no doubt about it.

"Dude," the green centaur said, "did you see that bear dude? He was all like, woah, I have an arrow in my mouth!"

"Yeah man, that was awesome! Head Slam!" The two centaurs rushed at each other full force, and Chiron shook his head, depositing Annabeth and Grover next to me on the ground.

"I do wish my cousins wouldn't slam their heads together like that. They don't have the brain cells to spare."

I giggled. Percy looked stunned. "You saved us."

He gave a dry smile. "Well, I couldn't very well let you die. Especially not after you've cleared my name?"

"But how did you know where we were?" I puzzled.

"Advance planning, my dear. I figured you would wash up near Miami if you made it out of the Sea of Monsters. All strange things do."

Grover looked affronted. "Gee, thanks."

"No, no," Chiron said. "I didn't mean….well, never mind. It _is_ good to see you, my young satyr. The point is, I was able to eavesdrop on Clara's Iris-Message and trace the signal. Iris and I have been friends for centuries, and I asked her to alert me if there were any communications in this area. It then took no effort for me to convince my brethren to come to your aid. As you see, we can travel quite fast when we want to. Distance for us is not the same as it is for humans."

I glanced over at the campfire, where the Party Ponies were teaching Tyson how to operate a paintball gun. I rolled my eyes and hoped they knew what they were getting into.

Percy and I exchanged a look. He had seen that too.

"But Chiron," he said, "we're just going to let Luke get away? He's got Kronos on that ship, or some of him anyway."

"Yeah," Renee put in, "and he has witches from school working for him. We already hated them before they tried to kill us, but…."

"I'm afraid today has been a bit of a draw. We did not have the strength in numbers to take on that ship. But Luke wasn't prepared, either. So, nobody won."

"But we got the Fleece!" Annabeth said excitedly. "Clarisse is on her way back with it right now."

Chiron nodded. "You are all true heroes. As soon as we get Percy's leg fixed up, we must get you back to camp. The centaurs will carry you."

"You're coming too?" I asked.

"Of course. I'll be relieved to get home. My brethren here simply do not appreciate Dean Martin's music. And I'm excited to see….I'm curious about the Fleece."

Something about that made me uneasy, and I remembered what Luke had said. _I was going to let you have the Fleece…._ after _I was done with it._ It probably wasn't a lie, though. There always seemed to be a plan within a plan with the Titan Lord.

Over by the campfire, Tyson had just shot a blue paintball at a centaur. It knocked him into the pond, and he came up, grinning and covered in pond scum and blue paint.

"You three wouldn't mind going over to supervise Tyson and my cousins, make sure they don't teach each other too many bat habits?"

A look of understanding passed between Percy and me. Annabeth and Renee noticed it too. "Come on."

"But I don't like paintball!"

"Yes you do," Renee charmspeaked as Annabeth pulled him up.

* * *

"Percy, I had a talk with Annabeth on the way here. About the prophecy."

Percy gulped, but I had no idea what was going on. "It wasn't her fault. I made her tell me."

His eyes flickered with irritation, and I felt embarrassed for Percy. But then the look turned to worry. "I suppose we couldn't keep it secret forever. I'm sorry, Clara, this must be confusing for you. The prophecy says that a demigod child of one of the Big Three will eventually have a decision that could make or break Olympus."

"So, Percy?"

"We don't know yet, as he is only twelve now, but if he survives to sixteen, then yes. But there is another part, a part that we only just figured out. This is where Clara comes in."

Percy and I raised our eyebrows. "There's going to be an accomplice. One who has extraordinary powers that none of his or her siblings have."

"But there's got to be a lot of extraordinary powers!" I demanded. "I mean, Renee's got charmspeak, and aren't there some Athena children who can manipulate-"

"I'm sorry, Clara, I should have phrased that more clearly. I meant to say someone with unheard of talents that have been there since birth, _because_ of birth."

"Huh? I've only been able to sunbeam since last year. And what does this have to do with the way I was born?"

"We only found this out recently, but Apollo sped up your growth, both in the womb and out of it."

"What does that have to do with sunbeams?"

"We're still trying to figure it out. It's possible that it has something to do with speed. It's possible that you were even _born_ on a sunbeam. We don't know yet."

"So, what will I do? In the prophecy, I mean?"

"If you are the child of the prophecy, you will make decisions along the road that will make or break the hero of the prophecy. And you already have, when you saved Percy last year, despite being scared. When you went below deck with Tyson. But one day, leading up to the conflict, there's going to be a huge decision, probably involving at least one person you love."

I gasped.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

It took us about three hours to get back to New York, which was amazing, considering we were riding horses. Well, okay, _centaurs_ , but still.

I moaned a little when we saw the camp. It had suffered many attacks in the two weeks we had been gone. The largest had been from a _Draco Aionius_ , which was some kind of dragon. The Big House's rooms were filled with wounded kids, and Clara's siblings had been working overtime to try and fix everyone up. The arts and crafts cabin had been destroyed.

The whole camp anxiously awaited our return. The mood was somber and the remaining campers crowded around us. But Clarisse draped the Fleece over Thalia's tree, and the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. There would be a constant camper guard around the tree until Chiron found a monster who could protect it. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.

Clarisse's cabin lifted her on their shoulders in celebration, but nobody noticed us. Which was good. Otherwise, we'd have to admit we'd left, and then we'd be in trouble.

Well, that wasn't completely true. That night at the campfire, we sat with all of our friends. Silena repeatedly hugged me, and Ruby wouldn't leave Clara's side.

When the sing-along was in full swing, Silena pulled me aside.

"That was very brave, Renee. And very foolish, to go out there like that."

"I know. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You did. But as a big sister, I'll just say that I'm really proud. I don't want you to be my second anymore."

"Huh?"

"You know, for when I'm away. I want you to become the counselor. And I'll be _your_ second. What do you say?"

"I mean, I'll still be at school a lot. Are you sure it's a good idea? You've been counselor forever. Are you sure?"

"Positive. After all, I'll still be your second."

I hugged my half-sister tightly. "Thank you, Silena. I'll make sure this works out."

"You won't fail, I know it in my heart."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So that was that. How did you like the Allison/Ariana thing? I think it's kind of fun to have both sides in both fandoms be kind of intertwined. I'm not sure what will come of it in the future, but I'll do something.**_

 _ **Also, what did you think of how I added Clara to the prophecy? Do you think she'll make the right choices? And Renee's the Aphrodite counselor now, so that's exciting.**_

 _ **So my plan is to have them stay for the chariot races and Thalia, and then go home to the Bradleys for a couple weeks before heading to meet friends and get supplies at Diagon Alley on like August 30th or something, since school starts on September first for them.**_

 _ **More surprises and plot twists coming up. I can't wait to get into**_ _ **Prisoner of Azkaban**_ _**canon. Anyway please review. Thanks.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	36. Boys, Twins, Chariots, Surprises

**Clara POV**

Ruby spent the whole evening attached to me. But when the campfire finished, she told me there was something vitally important for me to see, back at the Apollo cabin. "Get Renee."

I nodded, wondering what could be so important. We went over to the Aphrodite table, and Renee was beaming.

"Silena, do you mind if we borrow Renee for a sec? Ruby's got something to show us."

"Sure, that's fine. But be sure to bring our head counselor back, okay?"

We walked back to the Apollo cabin. "Silena made you head counselor?" I asked. "Congrats."

"I mean, I guess. I'll still be away most of the year, though, so technically only sort of."

"I know. But still. That's so cool. I'm really proud, Wren."

"Thanks."

"Will's been hinting he might give me the position. But he's still a little mad about my sneaking off."

"Oh well. He'll come around."

"Probably."

"Stop talking so much. You might disturb them!" Ruby shushed us loudly.

"Disturb who, exactly?"

She pulled open the door to the Apollo cabin, and Dusk flew at me. "Hey there, girl."

I stood in awe as three more owls came zooming out into the night sky. Then my jaw dropped at the huge pile of letters all over the floor.

"The white one and the gray, disheveled one had tried to go to the Aphrodite cabin, but I think Drew scared them. She told Will she didn't want them anywhere near her manicure."

"Why haven't they gone back?"

"These three arrived again yesterday. They don't like the long journey. We've needed to nurse them back to health before they can fly again. The gray one has given us a particular bit of trouble."

"That's Ron's owl, Errol. He's ancient. You did a good job, Ruby."

The younger girl beamed with pride. "But why such an odd way of mail? Who _are_ these people?"

That's when I realized Ruby didn't know anything about my _other_ life yet.

"Extra-thick letters from McGonagall this year. I wonder if we have a longer supply list," Renee called. "A couple letters from Ginny, Kat, Rebecca, and Hermione for you. And there's another thick one, addressed to both of us. Doesn't say who it's from."

We peered over at her. She was in the process of ripping open one of her own.

"Who's Kat, Rebecca, Ginny, and Herm-i-o-ne?" Renee had a little trouble with Hermione's name.

"Ruby, sit down," I said, patting a spot next to me on my bed. "I need to tell you something."

The younger girl sat next to me. "You remember how I told you that story about the girl who lived in a castle?"

"That was a good story."

"And remember how I said it was true?"

"Yeah? And?"

"Ruby," Renee said, coming over to sit next to us. "We aren't just demigods. We can do magic, too."

"I don't believe you."

I took out my wand and pointed it at Renee. "Expelliarmus." Her letter came flying from her hand.

"Hey!"

"Sorry." I handed it back to her. "Had to show her _something_."

"That's so cool! What else can you do?"

"I can transfigure this pen into a rock and back again," Renee told her. "Want to see?"

"Duh."

She swooshed her wand in a way I hadn't seen before. It must have been something she learned when I was in the hospital wing. Ruby clapped as the pen transformed. "Can you show Di?"

I'd forgotten about Ruby's twin sister, Diamond. She must've still been at the campfire with everyone else.

"Probably. Is she still having trouble adjusting?" I asked.

"A little. I think she's in denial."

"We'll work with her."

"Okay." Ruby brightened. "What else? Like, can it be used on _people_?"

"Oh yeah," I said. "Totally. But I can't think of any spells for it now." I didn't want to mention whatever Ariana had tried to do this morning. Ruby didn't need to know about dark spells.

"I know one. One time last year, my friend Tomasz Ruddernot turned his cousin Franklin into a badger."

"Oh yeah," I remembered. "That was hilarious!" I put on my best McGonagall impression. "Mister Ruddernot, where did you get to be so good at transfiguration? That is _not_ first year level!"

"How would you like it if someone turned _you_ into a snake?" Renee asked, and we fell over each other, laughing. Ruby just looked confused.

"I'd forgotten you were so good at impersonations, Renee!" I said through giggles.

"I've only done it once or twice in front of you, though."

"True." We couldn't stop laughing. "Want to read some of these?"

"Yeah. Totally."

"What should I do?" Asked Ruby.

"Want to hear some wizard correspondence?"

"Totally!"

Renee opened one from Gill first.

" _Hey Renee,_

 _How's your summer going? I've written to you about twelve times already, are you okay? Are you at Coney Island with Clara and your other friend? I hope you'll write back soon, I'm getting really worried._

 _Love,_

 _Gill Bellis."_

"Crap," Renee whispered to me. "Twelve times?"

"Here's another one from him. I think it's from later." I handed it to her.

" _Renee,_

 _I'm really getting angry. If you don't want to be friends, just tell me! I don't know why I deserve this silent treatment, but please tell me if I did anything wrong! Stop leaving me hanging!_

 _-Gill."_

"Crap crap crap crap. Someone's been blocking our letters!" She screamed in frustration.

"Three guesses who."

Renee thought for a minute. "You don't mean…. _Kaylee_?"

"Of course I do! Who else could get to us?"

"She somehow made the Bludger target me, too, don't you think?"

"Must have, although I was too busy screaming for your life to really notice anything."

"What kind of freak school do you _go_ to?" Ruby demanded.

"Um…." I was spared from having to answer as the rest of the Apollo cabin burst in.

"Ruby!" Diamond complained. "You left me alone!"

Renee came over to her. "Diamond, Ruby had to show us something."

"Is he….yours?" She motioned to Dusk.

"Clara's, actually. And it's a _she_."

"Can I pet her?"

Renee glanced at me. I nodded. "Of course."

Diamond stroked Dusk's head. "She's beautiful. Much less annoying now that she's not cooing at me constantly."

The girl looked up with her big, glassy eyes, at Renee. "Thank you."

"Of course." She smiled at the little girl. "You know, you're a lot like I was when I first got here. If you ever need help…."

"Thanks, Renee. I'm glad not all the Aphrodite kids are like Drew."

"Ugh. Her."

"Ugh," Diamond agreed.

"I'm head counselor for that cabin now, too. I'll keep her in line."

"Silena made you head counselor?" Will asked, shocked. "You should feel honored, Renee. Drew's been pushing her for it for _years_."

Renee laughed. "Drew could _never_ be head counselor. She's too mean."

"True that," Will agreed. "You missed announcements, by the way. It's not a big deal, the only important one was that we're going to be continuing the chariot races. But, two cabins will have to team up, instead of cabin against cabin."

I looked at Renee. "Let's make the Andromeda Jeanne chariot!"

"I thought you two might want to do it together." Will grinned.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

The morning of the chariot races was nothing like the first time. The sun shone brightly around us, but people still kept glancing up at the trees. Everyone was nervous that the birds would be there again, but none were.

I had asked Chiron if my wand was allowed as a weapon, and he said yes, which made me really happy. I _could_ use a sword, of course, but I preferred my wand. Clara had agreed to be the driver, since she thought I was better at fighting. I had no idea whether it was true or not.

We looked around, trying to figure out which cabins had partnered up. We weren't supposed to know beforehand, but everyone knew that the Athena and Poseidon cabins were together, because of Annabeth and Percy. A lot of people had suspected that my cabin would partner with Apollo as well, because they knew how close I was to Clara.

I was surprised to see Clarisse with Connor Stoll. I guess it made sense that she would choose the cabin that always had tricks up their sleeves, but I was just a little surprised because of Luke. Obviously, Clarisse would be their fighter. That left the Demeter cabin to partner up with Hephaestus. Charles Beckendorf, fighter, and Katie Gardner, driver. The Dionysus cabin was sitting out this one.

Tyson had done a lot of work on it to fix up the Athena/Poseidon chariot. He had offered to help with ours as well, but we declined. Silena, Lacy, Mitchell, and I were the only ones who had worked on it from the Aphrodite side of things, but all of the Apollo cabin had come through. We painted it pink and gold, with doves, Aphrodite's animal, on the outside to make it seem harmless. In reality, though, our defense was a lot like cattle, Apollo's sacred animal. We had swords and spears made of bullhorns, as well as dove-feathered arrows. I had brushed up on a few spells from _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Two_ and _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ , and I had learned and practiced a few new spells.

My favorite was a shield charm, _Protego_. It could shield the carriage from all sorts of attacks, and it was probably something I'd need to use later on as well. It wasn't one that we were taught, probably because Lockhart couldn't teach to save his life (almost literally, considering what Ron's wand had done to him), but it was apparently a third year level spell. There was also _Petrificus Totalus_ , a spell we _had_ learned this year, which made a body freeze up. I was a little hesitant to use it because of what had happened to Clara, but she urged me to forget about it and just use the spell.

We climbed into the chariot, which was made for neither comfort, nor safety. Speed was the only thing that mattered in a Greek chariot race. And we were all set on that, too. We used Silena's two favorite stallions, as the pegasi had been a disaster last time, and Clara had a few sunbeam tricks up her sleeve as well.

The track was a loop, but it went into the forest as well. On the outsides were raised platforms for everyone else to watch. Silena and Will had conducted the making of t-shirts for our team, which Drew was _not_ very happy about. They weren't ugly, they just were definitely not her normal crop tops and mini skirts. I laughed at her discomfort.

The design was the sun in the center of a heart. It was decorated with our summer adventures, as well as quests and events that had happened to the rest of our cabinmates. They really were nice.

As for Clara and I, we would be wearing them under our armor. Even though I was the fighter, we both knew that there might be a reason to switch roles at some point. And it would be dangerous. But I was prepared with my _Protego_ charm, which I cast on us before the start.

We lined up at the track. Chiron blew the conch shell, and we were off.

"Sunbeams now or later?" Clara asked. The stallions were very fast already.

"Later. Beginning of the second lap, unless we need them sooner."

Clara nodded and swerved the horses just in time to avoid a collision with one of Clarisse's javelins.

A moment later, we heard a _pop_ , and I realized something had exploded under us. I looked down and realized the javelin had turned into a balloon, filled with….tar. Leave it to the Hermes cabin to do something like that. Of course.

"Sunbeam. Now!" I yelled, but Clara had already started. She threw one under the chariot, but still held one in her hand.

"Switch places!"

"What? Now? We're about to be attacked!"

"Just do it!" She scrambled over me, and I was forced to take the wheel. Clara threw the sunbeam as hard as she could, and the Hermes side of the chariot blasted into pieces. But Connor and Clarisse weren't affected. Connor threw something that shielded him and grew into a roof for the chariot, but the teams behind us were gaining on us.

"Disqualified, Stoll!" Charles Beckendorf yelled from the Hephaestus/Demeter chariot. "You're not the fighter!"

"Who cares?" Clarisse taunted, and Connor sped up. She passed us, Percy right on her heels. We were now in third instead of first.

Beckendorf threw a bag at our chariot, and Clara shot an arrow at it. The arrow deflected it and made it crash onto Percy's chariot.

Annabeth screamed. "Greek fire!"

"Switch with me!" Percy called.

"But-"

"Trust me!" Percy dove for the fighting seat, and Annabeth was forced behind the wheel. Percy pressed a button on a watch that I had never seen him wear before, and a shield popped out of the watch.

"Protego!" I yelled, forgetting I was driving. Luckily, Clara threw more sunbeams at the Ares/Hermes chariot, and my mess-up was missed. I had no idea where she had learned to do that. She'd only used them for rides in the past.

Clara decked the wheels with another sunbeam right as Percy flipped the Greek fire onto the Hephaestus/Demeter chariot. Within a minute, their chariot blew up, and we raced toward the finish line.

Clarisse and Connor had to swerve to avoid the wreckage from the fire. They barely made it, but their time had cost them. We had the lead.

"She's using sunbeams!" Percy yelled, catching up to us.

He looked toward the lake, commanding it to bend to his will. It formed a mudslide for us, but we swerved to avoid it. By that time, though, Percy and Annabeth had passed us. Clarisse and Connor were so far behind us. Clara threw another sunbeam under the front wheel, and we caught up to Percy right at the finish line.

Chiron blew his conch shell. "We have, odd as it may seem, two winners!"

Our friends and cabinmates mobbed us. Annabeth was saying they couldn't have done it without Tyson, who Percy was finally willing to call his brother.

"We also couldn't have done it without our best friends, on an opposing team, Clara Bradley and Renee Sanderson!" I knew then that she wasn't just talking about the race.

"And we couldn't have done it without you guys!" I called back, definitely not talking about the races.

Clara ran into my arms and collapsed. Everyone was shocked. "Clara!" Lee Fletcher ran to us. "Are you okay?"

"What's going on with her," others murmured to themselves and each other. "Why is she like this?"

"Clara!" I gasped. "You've over exerted yourself!"

"No, really," she whispered. "I'm okay." She tried to stand up, but fell down immediately. I rushed to pick her back up, but a larger girl got there first.

"Clarisse?" She mumbled.

"Yep. Come on. Infirmary." She hauled Clara up on her shoulders. I would never cease to admire the strength of Clarisse La Rue. Even right after sustaining injuries, she could carry another human like she was a pillow.

* * *

I stayed with her all night long. She kept sobbing. "Wren, what was I thinking? Wren, it's all my fault." Then she would go into a fit of tears. I didn't understand what she was talking about.

Annabeth, Percy, Grover, Juniper, and Tyson came to visit us a little while after the chariot races. They brought us sandwiches from lunch. I was surprised at how good they were, because camp sandwiches are almost never good. I much prefer pizza.

Clara was able to sit up for a few minutes and listen to Tyson and Grover tell us their plans.

Tyson had gotten a dream from Poseidon, and he was going to work in his father's underwater forges. Percy was really upset about that.

Grover had been granted permission to continue the search for Pan, and would stay at camp through July. He had begun to look at Juniper in a new light as well, because she appealed to the Council for him and reminded him that he had paved the way for satyrs to continue this quest. They weren't a couple yet, but they knew each other better now. I could see the ties forming. He also said he'd dissolve the empathy links, which Clara was happy about, but Percy insisted on keeping his.

They left, and then it was just me and Clara. "Wren, could you go to the cabin and bring back some of our letters? I want to see that extra thick one from McGonagall."

"Good idea. You okay if I go there for a few minutes?"

"I think. I can always ask Will to help."

"Great. I'll be right back." I ran down to the Apollo cabin, and then remembered that I'd actually have to knock, considering Clara wasn't with me.

Luckily, it was Ruby who answered. "Hey," she said.

"Hey."

"How is she?"

"She's okay."

The younger girl stared into my eyes. "I'm guessing you want the letters? I have them all prepared for you, I put them in a bag."

"Thanks so much, Ruby!"

She handed me a bulging sack. "Got em."

I levitated them all the way to the infirmary, because that bundle was _heavy_!

Will raised his eyebrows as I came in. "Hey Renee, do you know anything about what Clara keeps screaming is her fault?"

"No idea. Did she do that a lot when I was out?"

"Yeah. Chiron came in to see her, as well."

"Great, I'll go and join them."

Will nodded, and I went back to Clara's room.

Chiron looked at me. Renee, will you step out with me for a moment?"

I nodded, worried. "What's up?"

"Well, a couple of things. First, and probably most important, as soon as she heals up, I'm asking you both to go home. To the Bradleys. Clara won't talk to them on the phone, because she says it's all her fault. I don't know _what_ it is, but it has to do with whatever happened last year, I got that much out of her."

"At Hogwarts, you mean? When she was petrified?"

"Yeah. I'm hoping to have her here for as short a time as possible. She's obviously not comfortable with hospital areas. Will you take care of her?"

"Yeah, totally. She's got nothing to worry about. I'm here."

"Renee, don't try to charmspeak me into leaving."

"I….I wasn't."

"That's good. She's involved in the prophecy that's supposedly about Percy, because of her extraordinary talent with sunbeams. And you….there are things going on in your _other_ world, things that involve you. I haven't figured it out yet. But you'll both have to stick to true friends in the coming years. Things are going to get ugly."

"True friends?"

"There will be other incidents like Luke's. I know you can trust Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Juniper. Also, I've had a talk with Pomona. She is, of course, staying away from the camp, and for good reason. She knows something that she can't say, something that she's only ever told Willowmist, her best friend here. She's too scared, and I respect her for that. But I _know_ you can trust her."

At that moment, Grover burst through the door, Percy hot on his heels. I hadn't realized how late it had gotten, but the moonlight reflected on the grass. I hoped Clara was sound asleep, but figured it was pretty unlikely to be the case.

My suspicions were confirmed as she stumbled out of her room. "She's just lying there," Grover panted. "Annabeth….and she….the Fleece…."

I looked at Percy in alarm, but he just shrugged.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

It had been a horrible night. My inner demons were attacking me, and I couldn't say why. I was pushing my friends away, and even Chiron. All I knew was that something to do with the Fleece was _my_ fault. And yes, that I had over exerted myself with sunbeams.

Grover came, and we frantically followed him. Chiron carried me on his back because he and Renee both believed I was too fragile at that moment. They were probably right.

I gasped when we got to the tree. At first, it was hard to process what was going on. Annabeth was lying on the ground, and Clarisse was helping her. But a crowd had gathered around, and I knew that wasn't the case because Clarisse was right behind me.

"Curse the Titan Lord!" Chiron said under his breath. "He's tricked us again, given himself another chance at the prophecy!"

"Huh?" I asked

But in that moment, something clicked. "The Fleece worked its magic too well," Chiron whispered.

Percy ran to the girl. "Guys, we need to help her! Get nectar and ambrosia! And get this girl to the infirmary!"

Nobody moved. Percy squinted at the girl, as if he had seen her before. Someone who was destined to either be the best friend or worst enemy of Renee and Percy.

"What's your name?" Percy asked slowly. He had figured it out as well.

"Thalia," the girl said. "Thalia Grace. Daughter of Zeus."

* * *

Chiron helped me back into the bed, and then he helped Thalia into the bed next to mine. Thalia was dazed and confused. "Where are the monsters? Did we make it?"

Annabeth burst in. "Thalia!"

"Annabeth? You survived? How am I still alive?" The older girl blinked. "Where's Grover? And Luke?"

Annabeth looked at me and Renee. "Not now," I mouthed. Thalia would have to know sometime, but it definitely wasn't now.

Annabeth told her the story of how she had become a pine tree when she died, because of her father. She explained what life had been like before Percy, Renee, and I had shown up. But then she froze. She couldn't explain the rest without talking about Luke.

"You need rest," Renee said, her voice full of charmspeak. My eyelids felt heavy, and I knew she was right. "Thalia, we'll talk in the morning."

"Who are you?" Thalia mumbled sleepily.

"I'm a friend. Please, Thalia, rest. You'll get to know me tomorrow."

By that time, I was already close to sleep. I opened my eyes once more, and Renee smiled. I _really_ needed to learn at least _some_ resistance to her charmspeak. But at that moment, sleep consumed me, and resistance to charmspeak no longer mattered.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

Over the next three days, I stayed in the infirmary with Clara and Thalia, only going back to the Aphrodite cabin to change clothes. Over that time, two things happened.

The first was that Clara and I grew really close with Thalia. We told her everything, sometimes with help from Percy, Grover, Annabeth, or Chiron, and occasionally even Clarisse. We even told her about our lives outside of camp, about Hogwarts. We exchanged stories and jokes, and to make both girls feel a little better, I sometimes gave them manicures or did their hair. Clara joked that I was becoming more like an Aphrodite.

"I _know_ how to do this stuff, I just never _do_."

The second, and possibly even more significant thing that happened was that I became one of Will's assistants. As an Aphrodite, I was the first non-Apollo camper to do it. He trained me to bandage wounds and explained the right amounts of nectar and ambrosia for any situation. "You can never give too much, Renee, or you could harm your patient even more."

"Sounds easy enough."

"I don't doubt there will be a time when you need to learn more, after a battle or a quest, but for now, those are the basics.

On the third day, both Clara and Thalia were feeling well enough to leave. Thalia had easily become one of my best friends. There was to be a campfire that night to celebrate the year, and we would be getting our beads early. After that, Clara and I would Floo home to the Bradleys until late August, when we would join friends at Diagon Alley, and then leave for another year at Hogwarts.

The campfire was much more spirited than the first one of the year. I sat with all my friends, new and old. Thalia was a little upset by the news about Luke, and by our leaving so soon after we'd met. She was one of the few campers who would be staying year-round, along with Clarisse and the twins.

At the end, we joined hands and embraced. Chiron gave out the beads, which detailed our quest from this summer. I was always surprised at how ornate and detailed the designs on the beads were. I They showed Clarisse taking the Fleece, me charmspeaking the sirens, Clara with Tyson and Rainbow on their sunbeam boat, Annabeth's idea with the sheep, and Percy learning to control the waters and ships. Most important, however, were the carefully carved chariots from the second race.

It was over all too soon, and then Chiron was whisking us away to the fire with the mysterious green powder in his saddlebag. We jumped into the fire, knowing we'd see everyone again at winter break. Chiron said there might be need of a rescue mission at a school, and Annabeth, Thalia, Percy, and we would probably end up being the right ones to do that. I was sad to leave everyone, but also excited to see everyone at Hogwarts.

Well, maybe not _everyone_. There were three girls I would be _very_ happy to avoid. I'd likely be spending as much time away from the common room as possible this year. Oh well, there was always the Hufflepuff other room. And I had _charmspeak_. They didn't have anything but their wands and their ugly, ugly faces.

 _ **A/N so this was chapter 36. I can't believe I'm so far in the story already. I'll change this book to have the title,**_ _ **Daughters of**_ _ ****_ _ **Darkness**_ _ **and then that'll be the name of the series. I'll stop**_ _ **Daughters of Darkness**_ _ **and go on to the sequel,**_ _ **The Magic Within Us**_ _ **, when Voldemort returns.**_

 _ **Sorry this one was a little long, I didn't have the idea of putting Clara in the infirmary with over-exertion until much later in the writing process. But once I did, I discovered what I could do with Renee, so she'll help Will, and nursing could become a career option for her, who knows. More will come soon with the Renee/Clara/Thalia friendship as well.**_

 _ **Next chapter will be Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express with the dementors. If the longer chapters or POV switches ever bother you, let me know. Thanks and Please review.**_

~ ** _Hufflepufferfish_**


	37. Family and Friends

**Clara POV**

We zoomed through the fireplace into my home. My adoptive mother was waiting for us, looking strict.

"Clarissa Jeanne Bradley! How dare you run off like that and just _leave_! I mean, how _could_ you? Oh Clara, we were so worried! And why wouldn't you talk to us on the phone?"

She pulled me into a hug, but I squirmed out of it. I ran to my room, and Renee gave a brief explanation to my mom before following. "She needs rest. Doctor's orders."

"You have _doctors_ at that blasted camp?"

"Mrs. Bradley, please. We'll explain soon, I promise."

She ran after me, which I was glad about. She was the only person I wanted to see right now. I didn't even know why I was reluctant to see my adoptive family, but I just felt miserable.

"I got her off your toes."

I shook my head. "Charmspeak?"

"I don't think so. I think she understands."

"She'll send David or Ross and Dallas in soon. She's just _acting_ like she's okay with this. Renee, it's all my fault!"

"Clara, please. Calm down. Can you remember what was your fault?"

"Something about when I was petrified. I don't know how, but Hermione and I communicated in the hospital wing."

" _What_? How? And why is it a problem?"

"Some sort of telepathic thing. But sometimes, I could feel our, um, signal, or whatever, fading in and out. I think we were being intercepted. Kaylee's much smarter than her sister, Renee. I need you to watch her."

Renee looked shocked and worried. "What did you tell Hermione?

"Well, she wanted to know about camp, so I told her some stuff, where it was….I think I allowed Kronos to poison the tree!" I gasped.

"How? Luke knows them too!"

"Well, yeah, but I think he may not have had the guts to come back to the camp without the vital information."

" _What_ vital information? What happened?"

"Well, I don't think Morgana's story adds up, somehow. How would Kaylee have figured this stuff out when she was just _six_? And why would she want to be involved? I mean, she's a brat, but it wasn't until we came into play that she would have had a reason to be against me. So, I think she may have known Luke, and I think she may have liked his ideology, but it wasn't until we came into play that she really knew Luke was right for her."

"But what about Mellie and Ali?"

"Don't call them that! And what did Chiron tell you when you went out with him? The night Thalia appeared?"

"That….that I played a part in something in the wizard world….something about Him."

"Voldemort?"

"Yeah, and something to do with Harry's future. And Voldemort said last year that he's been tracking me since I was a baby."

"You never thought to tell me this?"

"Sorry. I forgot, up until this very moment."

"Okay, well, next time do better at remembering, then. Anyway, Chiron told me that I played a part in the prophecy that might concern Percy. My minor decisions will affect his major decision, when the time comes. So they were on the lookout for us, and I inadvertently gave Kaylee the last piece of the puzzle, the total confirmation. Morgana and Ariana knew before, but Kaylee was still hesitant."

"Kaylee was hesitant to hurt…. _us_?"

"No, she would have loved to. But she, unlike others, _does_ care who gets hurt from her actions. If they're not a threat to her, they're not her problem."

"Clara, how do you know all this?"

"I just do. I've figured it out, when I was in the infirmary. It brought back memories, you know?"

Renee nodded, and I glanced at the clock. We had gotten in around 7:30 pm, and now it was 8:30. I was surprised Mom hadn't sent in any of my brothers yet.

"Clara," My mom called from somewhere. "Renee, have you eaten?"

"Yeah, we had dinner at camp."

"You want me to get milkshakes? I can get your favorites, one of each for each of you!"

Man, that was tempting. I knew it was just an effort to get me to talk, but still. One Vanilla Blueberry milkshake and one chocolate raspberry milkshake _each_ ….I glanced at Renee.

"You're going to have to talk to her _sometime_." My best friend rolled her eyes

"I know," I sighed. "Okay," I called down, resigned.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, my mom made us do normal kid stuff. We went to the mall with Ross and Dallas and some of their friends. We didn't really need anything, but Ross's girlfriend Jen insisted she treat us.

Renee came home with new earrings, ones with miniscule gold balls on them. She'd search up a charm to make them into snitches when we got back to Hogwarts. She would have done it now, but Mom insisted we only use magic for homework. I ended up with plain black flats, which Renee thought was hilarious, because they were so "unlike me." I had no idea what she meant until she pointed out my sneaker collection and reminded me I was a daughter of Apollo.

We studied math and science online for an hour a day, so that we could keep up with the real world. We also researched current events to be sure we knew what was going on outside of our "fantasy worlds," as Tony liked to joke.

We had family game nights, and watched movies. We studied up for Hogwarts and read Greek mythology to better understand what we were up against. And one night, Renee reminded me that we still had our letters.

After a horrible defeat in Pictionary from Ross, Renee, and Steven's team against my team with Tony and Dallas, Renee and I snuck off to open them. It was almost time for us to return to Hogwarts, and we figured we'd better know our supply list before we went shopping at Diagon Alley.

When we'd finished looking at letters from our friends, which detailed their summers and plans for next year, we opened the thick letters from McGonagall.

The first one was the regular year letter, just telling us the start of term, where and when to get the train, blah blah blah. On the back was the second year supply list.

The second note was more interesting.

* * *

 _Dear Miss Bradley,_

 _We understand that because of your history as a demigod, you already know advanced defense. We were wondering if you would like to take an advanced placement test that could put you into third year level. The only problem is that we cannot match it to your class schedule to take with your houses, so you would have to take it with the Gryffindors. Please reply at your earliest convenience._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Professor M. McGonagall_

 _Deputy headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_.

* * *

I looked over at Renee. She was grinning. "Did you get the DADA letter?" She demanded.

"Yep. Should we go for it?"

"A chance to get out of a class I would otherwise have with Kaylee, Ariana, and Morgana? Obviously!"

"I hope we have a competent teacher this year. If not, at least we'll be with friends."

"Do you think we both need to write back?"

"One of us can, and we'll both sign it."

"Sounds good." I shook the envelope and a third letter came out. Renee did the same.

"Dear Miss Bradley," I read out loud. "We would also like to ask if you would like to drop History of Magic and take Care of Magical Creatures instead. The slot we have open would be the Gryffindor/Slytherin slot, also away from your house. But you must promise that you will study history of magic in your own way, and you will turn your learning in at Christmas, Easter, and the end of the year. Are you willing to do this? Please respond at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Professor M. McGonagall, deputy headmistress, blah blah blah."

"What a great opportunity. Ditching History of Magic for a class we could actually _use_?" Renee was ecstatic. "I'll write back right away!"

"We'll need to figure out how to study it on our own, though. Shouldn't be a problem, with the library at Hogwarts."

"I bet Annabeth and Chiron could tell us a few things as well. After all, Hecate is the goddess of magic."

"True." We were so excited for the coming year.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

Around noon on August 29th, we scooped up the Floo powder and our trunks and yelled, "The Leaky Cauldron."

Of course, it would be August 30th when we got there, and closer to evening. When we reached England, we'd have to adjust to the time difference, which was why we were leaving a day early. We had made our reservations at the Leaky Cauldron, which never cost much. And anyway, we had a lot of money.

The plan was for us to sleep all evening and wake up earlier to go shopping. Hopefully, then, we'd meet up with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny tomorrow.

But of course, things never go as planned. We slept for an hour in room twelve, then went down to the bar to get some dinner. As we were eating, someone approached us.

"Renee!"

"Harry!" I embraced him. "How are you?"

"When did you get in?"

"Just an hour ago. You?"

Harry laughed, and I wasn't sure why. "You might want to sit back down. It's a long story."

I sat back down, and Clara waved. I reminded myself that she didn't know Harry as well as I did, although apparently she knew Hermione better than I'd thought.

Harry joined us after ordering a sandwich, and told us about the fiasco with his aunt Marge, and the way Fudge had greeted him.

"Oh, and Renee, I need to tell you something. There's a wizard criminal on the loose, broke out of Azkaban. Nobody's _ever_ done that before. Anyway, this criminal, he killed thirteen people in one night, twelve Muggles and a wizard. And his name is Sirius Black."

"Black? Are you sure?"

"Perfectly sure. Here."

He pulled out a newspaper from his bag and spread it open to a picture of a screaming man with matted hair. The face looked hauntingly familiar.

"Sirius Black?" I pondered. I'd heard the name before, but I didn't know where. Clara yawned.

"Sorry, Harry, we just got in. Still a little hard adjusting to the time change. Our parents suggested we sleep it off early this evening. Let's meet up tomorrow, what room are you staying in?"

"Eleven."

"No way! We're right across the hall, in twelve!"

"Great. Tomorrow you'd better tell us all about your summer and why you never answered my letters."

"Of course, Harry. But somewhere private, okay?" Clara whispered. "You and Ron and Hermione are the only ones who know our secret. I want to keep it that way."

Harry nodded, and we went up to bed for the night.

* * *

The next morning, we scanned our supply lists. "Thank goodness you're not taking Care of Magical Creatures," Harry told us, beckoning us into his room. "Look at this!"

It appeared to be a book, but it was breathing.

"What is that?" Clara asked nervously.

"The Monster Book of Monsters. Care of Magical Creatures book."

"Um, Clara? Maybe taking that class _wasn't_ a good idea."

"What?" Harry looked confused.

"Oh, we didn't have time to tell you. We got letters from McGonagall. We get to substitute that class for History of Magic."

"You're so lucky! I wish I could trade in History of Magic. That class is _terrible_!"

"Right?" Clara seemed to be warming up to Harry, which was good. "We also got offered to take an advance placement test for DADA. If we succeed, we'll be in _your_ class!"

"That's amazing. You guys deserve it!"

"Thanks, Harry."

We set off. I bought my books. The employee screamed when we said we wanted two Monster Books. "Why is everyone coming in pairs?" He cried. "Do you _want_ to torture me? This is worse than the _Invisible Book on Invisibility_ , which we never found. And those cost a fortune, too!" He eyed Harry wearily, as if daring him to ask for a copy as well.

I had an idea. "Sir, would you mind if I helped with the books?"

"If you're willing to lose a hand, I'd welcome the help."

I went behind the desk, where there was a huge crate of the fanged books. I looked at them. It must have been a charm, because they weren't actually living, but it couldn't hurt to try.

"Come on, books," I said. "Nice and easy, there we go. You really _do_ want to stop fighting, you'll feel a lot better for it. There you go, come on now."

The employee looked shocked. "How did you do that?"

"I guess it's kind of like….dogs. You have to know how to talk to them." The man was appalled.

I plucked two from the bunch, and they were snoring loudly. "Simple as pie."

"Can you get them to stay like that? So I can, you know, give them to other students?"

"I can try. Be right back." I thrust the sleeping books into Harry and Clara's hands. Harry looked at me strangely. I jogged back to the man, who was waiting for me.

"Now, you're going to stay asleep, okay? Okay. When this nice man comes to pick you up, you'll obey him. You won't attack in any way. Understand? And any of his coworkers. Got it?" The books seemed to nod sleepily. "If you have any problems with them, send an owl to Renee Sanderson at Hogwarts."

"Thank you so much, Renee Sanderson. Dumbledore will be informed. And you can get a free book if you'd like as well."

"Oh, thank you so much. Let me look around."

I searched for the right book, either something useful or something for Clara and me to enjoy. I glanced at _Greek Mythology in Magic_ and _Seeking to Beat the Chase you can Keep: A Player's Guide to Switching Positions_ before wandering over to the fiction section. I was surprised to see the shelves included some well known Muggle authors, including John Green and Suzanne Collins*. There were books by Ministry workers and politicians and pretty much anyone else you could think of.

Eventually, I bought a copy of _Greek Mythology in Magic_ because it could be really useful. I knew Clara would praise my choice.

When I came to the front, Clara had bought all our other books. She and Harry looked bored waiting for me.

"Come on. We still need potions supplies, and Harry wanted to show you something. And I hope we find the other three soon."

"Yeah, Renee, come on. If you don't think this is as impressive as I do, I'll drop my position as seeker!" We hurried out of the store,

"Well, then I'll be impressed at-whoa!" I was staring at a racing broom that looked even better than the Nimbus 2001's that Slytherin's Quidditch team had. The _Firebolt_.

" _That's_ what I wanted to show you."

"It's amazing! Price on request? I wonder, if we pooled our money….then we could share it…."

"You're _not_ spending _our_ money on a broom, Renee. I don't even play, and it's not just _your_ money either," Clara reprimanded. But Harry and I looked longingly at each other.

We were beginning to wonder if we were ever going to see Ron and Hermione on this trip when someone yelled, "Harry!"

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were eating giant ice cream cones at Florean Fortescue's. Ginny got up, and walked toward me. "Renee, I don't know if I ever really got a chance to apologize for last year, but-"

I cut her off. "Ginny, there's no _need_. You were fighting _Voldemort_."

Everyone except Clara and Harry gasped when I said the name. They beckoned us to sit down, and Hermione went up and ordered three more ice creams. "She'll be expecting you to pay for that," Ron said. I nodded absently, forgetting for a moment that the Weasleys were very poor. Ron scowled.

"Hey Clara," He said, not looking at me, "did you hear that we won the 700 galleon prize draw?"

"Really? That's amazing!"

"We got to go visit my brother Bill in Egypt," Ginny added. "Those pyramids were _freaky_."

"Hey, you didn't even see the worst of it! Mum wouldn't even let you go in that one!" Ron snapped.

I looked at Ginny. "What's with him?" I whispered to her.

"It's his rat, Scabbers. He hasn't been doing well ever since Egypt."

I frowned. "Sorry to hear it."

"He never cared about that blasted, good for nothing rat before, but now he's changed because he's old."

Clara was chatting with Hermione about her huge sack of books. "You signed up for _every_ elective?" Clara asked. "How is that even _possible_?"

Hermione looked uncomfortable and changed the subject immediately. "So, my parents gave me a bit of money for my birthday in September. I was thinking of buying an owl, since you've got Dusk, and Harry's got Hedwig, and Ron has Errol."

"No I don't, he's a family owl! But I would like to see if they have anything for Scabbers."

Harry led us across the way to the Magical Menagerie, which was where I'd gotten Princess, who Sandra had taken care of for the summer. Drew _hated_ Princess, and Silena had begged me to appease her, saying we'd figure something better out for next year.

There were double-ended newts and giant purple rabbits and all sorts of other creatures, and it was all so shocking to take in.

"Was it like this last year?" I whispered to Clara. "This, well, _chaotic_?"

"I don't think so."

"So it's not just me."

Ron approached the counter. "It's my rat," he explained. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt.

Ron placed the rat on the table next to a crate of skipping white rats.

"How old is he?" Asked the witch at the counter.

"Quite old. He used to be my brother's."

"What powers does he have?"

"Um…."

"This one's been through the mill, he has. A common garden rat can like him generally only lives for about three years. You're lucky. Now, if you want a sturdier creature, I would suggest one of these guys." She indicated the cage.

"Show-offs," Ron mumbled. I had to say I agreed.

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you could always-" the lady was cut off as something huge and orange came flying at Ron.

"Aaaah!" Ron screamed, and I stepped back. The thing spat madly at Scabbers.

"Crookshanks, NO!" exclaimed the lady, trying to hold the beast back. Scabbers shot off the counter like a rocket, and Ron and Harry chased after him. I followed.

"What _was_ that thing?" Ron was very annoyed.

"Either a very large cat or a small tiger." Harry's blunt sarcasm was always amazing.

"That is _not_ a cat, there's no _way_ that thing is anything _like_ Princess," I argued. Harry nodded. "Where're Clara, Ginny, and Hermione?"

"Probably getting Hermione's owl, or…." Harry trailed off as Hermione hurried towards us with the giant cat, Crookshanks, in her hands. Clara and Ginny seemed to be carrying his bed and food.

Ron tucked Scabbers in his pocket and glared at Hermione. "You bought that _monster_?"

"He's not a monster," Hermione said. "He's a big sweetie, aren't you, Crookshanks?" She cuddled the cat.

"Hermione, Scabbers needs rest and relaxation!" Ron protested. "How's he supposed to get it with that _thing_ around?"

"Princess will be absolutely terrified," I agreed. "How am I supposed to take care of _my_ cat?"

Clara piped up from behind Hermione. "Renee, you're a Slytherin, they'll barely come into contact. And Hermione can keep Crookshanks in the girls' dormitories while you keep Scabbers in the boys', Ron."

Ron huffed and stomped away, and we felt obliged to follow. "When are you going to tell us about _your_ summer?" Harry whispered to me.

I indicated Ginny. "Later. Maybe we can find a private compartment on the train, or find a private spot after dinner tonight, or…."

"I get it."

* * *

That evening, the Weasleys were overjoyed to see us. Molly pulled me into a hug, and the twins imitated Percy's pompous way of greeting us. I noticed, however, that Clara hung back with Ginny and Hermione.

Molly adored me, and at first I couldn't figure out why. After all, she barely knew me.

Tom had pulled three large tables together for the eleven of us, and we talked joyfully about everything from Hogwarts to the Firebolt.

"We wanted to buy it," Fred told me earnestly. "I wish we could get our hands on some money."

"Harry and I were thinking about pooling our resources, but Clara wouldn't let me. It's her money too, so I guess it's fair."

Ron glared at me across the table. He seemed to be the most touchy of any of the Weasleys about their money situation. He hastily changed the subject.

"How are we getting to the platform tomorrow, Dad?"

"Ministry's providing a limo."

"What?" Percy exclaimed. "Why?"

"It's because of you, Perce," George said seriously. "And there'll be little flags with HB on them-"

"For Humongous Bighead," Fred finished.

Aside from Percy and Molly, we all snorted into our pudding. Clara immediately looked sheepish for doing so. "Mr. Weasley, you never _did_ answer his question," she said sharply.

"Oh….well….since I work there….they're doing me a favor." But I noticed he was stuttering a lot.

"I propose a toast," said Molly suddenly, obviously trying to diffuse the tension. "To Harry Potter and Renee Sanderson, for saving our daughter from unimaginable horrors."

"And," Hermione put in, "for creating unity between Gryffindor and Slytherin, where there would otherwise be none. And saving Clara from those horrors as well."

"To Harry and Renee." Molly raised her glass.

"To Harry and Renee," everyone echoed, and then we paused in awkward silence.

"Are you all packed?" Arthur finally asked everyone.

"Ron's not, he's dumped his stuff all over my bed." Percy glared.

"Ron, go finish up. What about you, girls, is everything good?"

"We just need to put a few of our books away," I told her.

* * *

"Wren, why is Molly acting colder towards me? You'd expect….I mean, _you're_ the Slytherin."

"It's because I saved Ginny, whereas you didn't stop her."

"I thought she was more thoughtful than that." Over the next few years, we would learn that Molly Weasley was an amazing person, but sometimes got caught up in things like that. "Oh well," Clara sighed.

* * *

Around midnight, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go downstairs for a cup of ice water. I knew Tom always had some out on the bar counter.

Someone barred my way on the staircase. "Harry!" I gasped.

"Shh! They're talking about Black. I just heard my name come up."

"He's thirteen years old, and-" Arthur was saying.

"Arthur, the truth would terrify him!" Molly yelled shrilly. "Do you want to send Harry back with _that_ hanging over him? For Heaven's sake, he's _happy_ not knowing!"

"I don't _want_ to make him miserable," Arthur retorted. "I want to put him on his guard. "You know what Harry, Ron, and Renee are like, wandering off by themselves, they've even ended up in the Forbidden Forest. And unless I'm much mistaken, there's something Dumbledore's not telling us about the girl! They absolutely _cannot_ do that this year! It's been two months and he hasn't been caught! Harry and Renee _need_ to know! I mean, if Harry hadn't gotten the Knight Bus, if the Ministry hadn't found him, I'd hate to think….he could have been dead by morning!"

"But he's _not_ dead, and neither is she! They're fine, so what's the point in-"

"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, that's supposed to be impossible! I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the _Prophet_ , we're no closer to catching Black than we are to inventing self-spelling wands! The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after, and I still think the girl is somehow involved! She's a _Slytherin_!"

"She saved our daughter, Arthur, what could be wrong? They'll be safe at Hogwarts, Dumbledore's-"

"We thought Azkaban was safe too. If Black can break out of there, he can break out of Hogwarts!"

"But no one's _really_ sure that Black's after Harry, and I highly doubt Renee is in any way-"

Arthur banged his fist on the table. "Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? Fudge doesn't want it released to the press, but Fudge went out Azkaban the night Black broke out. The guards say he's been talking in his sleep, always the same words…. 'At Hogwarts….e's at Hogwarts….' Black's deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead! And Sanderson, what role does she _play_ in all of this? If you ask me, he thinks that murdering Harry will help him bring You-Know-Who back to power, and she'll probably be able to help Black get to Harry by being someone close to him!"

"Renee isn't like that, Arthur, really. And he's fine, Dumbledore'll be able to stop all this. I assume he _does_ know?"

"Of course he knows, we had to check if he was okay with us putting guards all around the school! He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed."

"Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?"

"Dumbledore isn't very fond of the Azkaban guards," said Arthur heavily. "Nor am I, if it comes to that….but sometimes, when you're dealing with forces like Black, you have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid."

"But if they help catch Black-"

"-then I will take back every word I said against them. It's late, Molly, we'd better go up…."

We heard chairs move, and I pulled Harry back behind a wall as they came upstairs. Then we ducked back downstairs for the water and the rat tonic, which was what Harry had been there for.

"He thinks _I'm_ working with _Black_? How?" I seethed.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow, on the train, okay? We'll find a private compartment for the five of us; you, me, Hermione, Ron, and Clara. You should get some rest."

As we walked up, Percy was still yelling at Ron over his head boy badge. "Couldn't they just go to _sleep_?" I whispered, right as Fred and George poked their heads out at us.

"We've got it," Fred said.

"Yep. We've been improving it. Have a look." The badge now read, "Bighead Boy." Harry and I forced laughter and hurried up to bed.

Later, as I lay down, I thought how it all made more sense now: Fudge meeting Harry and forcing him not to leave Diagon Alley, and he was providing us with Ministry limos so that we'd be safe with the Weasleys at all times.

I couldn't wait to be underway on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow and leave this summer behind.

* * *

 _ **A/N so there's chapter 37. Did you like what I did with DADA and Care of Magical Creatures? And what about the Gryffindor to Slytherin distrust? Should I try to play that out more?**_

 _ **I hoped you enjoyed it. Please review! Thanks!**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	38. The Ride to Hogwarts

**Clara POV**

We piled into the Ministry limo. I'd never been in a limo before, and I doubted I ever would again. Being in a _magic_ limo….I'd _never_ get to do that again.

It had headphones for each of us, which was great for Renee and me, because we could block out the sound of Percy and Ron's bickering. Hermione and Harry were teaching George and Fred how to use them, as they were sort of a Muggle thing. I leaned back and listened to Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. Renee was quietly humming along to a country song, and I realized the headphones must have been personalized to our likes.

We squeezed through tight spaces like they were nothing, and I could swear we jumped over some cars when traffic was especially bad. I decided I loved magically enhanced transportation. When I was old enough to drive, I'd have Arthur Weasley fix up my car like he did to that Ford Anglia. Only better, because I wasn't really looking forward to the meeting my face would have with the Whomping Willow.

All too soon, the ride was over. We scrambled out, carefully making sure we had everything. We hurried to the platform.

"We'll go in pairs," Arthur said. "Save time." He glanced at Renee. Harry and Ron walked through, and then I grabbed Renee's hand, but Arthur stopped me.

"I'll take her. Go with Hermione." I didn't really like his tone, but Hermione shrugged and we ran through the barrier.

"Where's Renee?" Harry asked.

"She's coming. Arthur made him wait with him for some reason."

Harry looked troubled by this, but I didn't have time to think about it because Kat and Rebecca came jogging over.

"Clara!"

"Kat! Rebecca! It's good to see you!" We embraced.

"How was your posh American summer?" Kat asked.

"Well, first of all, nobody in America says, 'posh.' Second, it was fun. We went to the mall, did some low key stuff, not much happened, really." Of course, I couldn't tell them what our summer was _really_ like. Renee would kill me. "What about you guys?"

I glanced over my shoulder. All of the Weasleys were there, all of our travelling companions, except for Renee. Then, she and Arthur burst through the platform. Renee looked angry.

Rebecca had started telling me about some marathon she did, but I had to go figure out what was up with Renee.

"That sounds fascinating, Rebecca, but if you'll excuse me, I'll see you later. I need to help Renee."

Luckily, Ginny and Rachel came over to say hello to Rebecca and Kat, and I was able to slip away.

"What's up?" I whispered to Renee.

"I….he….I'll tell you when we get a private compartment with Harry, Ron, and Hermione." She looked behind her, where Harry was talking to Arthur, and frowned.

"I need to go find Sandra," she said suddenly. "Princess will be missing me. Want to come?"

"Sure."

"Train leaves in five minutes," Molly called to us. I nodded.

Luckily, the decent Slytherin second years were easy to find. Tomasz was goofing off with his cousins, and Gill and Sandra were chatting about Sirius Black.

"Hey!" Sandra shouted when she saw us. She had Princess sitting next to her. "Listen, Renee, please find another way to do this next year. I know you said Clara's parents are allergic to cats, but _please_. She's a nightmare!" She thrust the cat into Renee's hands. Princess purred softly.

"What happened?"

"She kept attacking all my newspapers. And those are important, that's the _Daily Prophet_!"

Gill glanced at me and rolled his eyes. I had to look away to keep from laughing. He got up and hugged Renee. "Renee! Why didn't you answer my letters? I've missed you so much!"

"I think they'd been blocked by….someone." She obviously didn't want to mention that we had had conflict with Ariana and Morgana, and therefore Kaylee, this summer. "I'm so sorry, Gill."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have sent those letters and jumped to conclusions about how you felt."

The train whistle sounded, and we quickly hopped on. Gill helped pull Renee up.

"We need to find the others," Renee reminded me. She scooped up Princess, and we left to find Harry's compartment.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

We found the others at the back of the train, but Ginny was there too. "Guys," Harry whispered, "We need to talk in private." He glanced at Ginny.

"Go away, Ginny," Ron snapped.

"Oh that's nice," she huffed, not moving.

"Ginny," I said, with just a tiny bit of charmspeak, "go find Rebecca and Kat and Rachel. We'll meet up with you soon."

Ginny sighed. "Fine."

Then we were alone, except for a man sleeping in the back behind Hermione.

"Wonder who that is," Ron muttered. It was odd to see an adult on the train, which was primarily reserved for students.

"Professor R. J. Lupin," said Hermione simply.

Ron looked at Hermione. "Do you know everything?" Then he turned to Harry. "How is it that she knows everything?"

Hermione and Clara erupted into a fit of giggles. "It's on his suitcase, Ronald." Hermione said plainly, rolling her eyes. Ron harrumphed.

"Are you sure he's asleep?" Harry looked anxious.

"Yeah, he is."

"How can you tell, Clara?"

"I just know. It's an Apollo thing." I nodded. Apollo campers were generally good at sensing people's health and liveliness.

"First of all," Harry began, "Renee and Clara were going to tell us about their summer." Clara and I glanced at each other. How to start this….?

"Well, almost the minute we got off the train, Annabeth showed up at our house and whisked us away in this death taxi," I started, somewhat sarcastically.

We then went on to tell them everything: Luke's boat, the hydra, Clarisse's boat, getting separated, fighting Polyphemus, getting the Fleece, and meeting Luke again on the way home. The only part we left out was that Kaylee, Morgana, and Ariana were involved too. We didn't want to scare them. Especially with the news that Harry and I had.

"So, what else did we need to talk in private for?" Hermione asked.

Harry and I explained the argument between Arthur and Molly. When Arthur had made me wait without Clara, he had told me to stay away from Harry and his children. "He thinks I'm in league with Black because I'm a Slytherin and I hang out with Harry!"

"That's outrageous!" Clara exclaimed.

"Molly disagrees," Harry put in. "Because you saved Ginny last year with me. And _I_ disagree too. You're one of my best friends. You protected me last year. There's no _way_ you could have anything to do with him!"

I thanked Harry for his vote of confidence. Ron looked horrified. Hermione had her hands over her mouth.

"Black escaped to come after _you_?" She finally gasped. "You must be careful, both of you! Don't go looking for trouble-"

"Hermione, trouble usually finds me, I don't go looking for it." Harry said.

"How thick would Harry have to be to look for a nutter who wants to kill him?" Ron laughed darkly.

"But what I'm worried about is, what if Renee really is involved, somehow?" Hermione whispered. "I mean, obviously, she can't be working with Black or anything, but haven't you been called Renee Black by You-Know-Who and….?"

"Yeah, I'm worried about that too. He might not necessarily be after you, or not _only_ you, Harry. You never said the guards said a gender that Black said when he was talking in his sleep." Clara was horrorstruck.

"And," Ron added nervously, "nobody's ever broken out before. I mean, they have no idea how he _did_ it. He could be anywhere."

"They'll catch him, won't they?" Clara whimpered. "I mean, they've got the Muggles looking for him and everything."

"What's that noise?" I asked suddenly. There was a soft _whirr_ like a fan.

Hermione glanced at Harry's bag. "Is that a _sneakoscope_?"

"Not a very good one, mind you. It kept going off as I was tying it to Errol to send Harry."

"Well, were you doing anything suspicious?"

"'Course not. Well, I was using Errol, and he's not good for long distances…."

"Put it back, you might wake him," I told Harry. He nodded.

"We'll get it checked in Hogsmeade," Ron told him. "Dervish and Banges, they're great for that kind of thing."

"Do you know a lot about Hogsmeade, then?" Hermione asked him. "I've read that it's the only fully wizard settlement in all of Great Britain, but-"

"It's the largest, at any rate, but that's not why I want to get in. I just can't wait to get to Honeydukes."

"What's Honeydukes?"

"I've heard it's the best sweetshop ever, even better than at Diagon Alley. They have peppermint imps and fizzing whizbees and-"

"But there's so much great wizarding history," Hermione argued. "The inn was the headquarters for the 1612 Goblin Rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most haunted place in all of Britain-"

"And giant Chocoballs filled with strawberry cream. And massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground when you're sucking on them."

I couldn't follow anything they were saying. "What's Hogsmeade?" I asked. Clara looked just as confused as I was.

"The wizarding village right outside of Hogwarts. But don't worry, you'll have me for company," Harry muttered.

Ron stared at him, stopping mid-sentence. "Harry, you're not going?"

"Dursleys didn't sign the permission slip." Harry frowned.

"You're not allowed to come? But….but…." Ron spluttered. "No way! McGonagall will sign it, or something."

Harry gave a hollow laugh. "She wouldn't, she's too strict. Rules _are_ rules, Ron."

"We could always talk to Fred and George, they know every secret passageway out of the castle-"

"You _won't_ have Harry sneaking out with Black on the loose!" Hermione insisted.

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall would say if I asked her for permission."

"Well, Harry, you'll have us for company." Clara tried to comfort Harry, but it was obviously not working.

"Yes," Ron said impatiently, "but if we're there-"

"Ron, don't be stupid. You think Black wouldn't attack Harry just because _we_ were there? He's a maniac, he killed thirteen people in one go!" She was fumbling with Crookshanks' basket as she spoke.

"Don't let that thing out," Ron snapped, indicating the lump in his pocket that was Scabbers. Crookshanks leapt from the basket and onto Ron's chest, hissing madly. I groaned.

Ron shoved the cat. "Get away from here!"

"Ron, don't," said Hermione angrily.

Ron was about to retort, but Professor Lupin stirred, and we all glanced at him apprehensively. Luckily, he just rolled over and fell back asleep.

Around one, the plump lady with came around with the trolley. We eagerly paid for Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs, and of course, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Clara, Ginny, and I had had a lot of fun with those last year.

Hermione prodded at Professor Lupin a little bit. "He looks like he could use some food."

The trolley witch just smiled. "If he needs anything when he wakes up, I'll be up at the front with the conductor.

We nodded, and soon we were eating Bertie Botts Beans and trading Chocolate Frog cards.

Malfoy pushed his way in about halfway through our eating. "Well, look who it is," he sneered. "Potty and the Weasel."

Ron made a fist.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer. Did your mother die of shock?"

Ron was on his feet before I had time to blink. Crookshanks yowled as Ron knocked his basket to the floor on accident. Professor Lupin gave a snort, and Malfoy turned in his direction.

He took an automatic step back, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, his thugs. "Who's that?"

"New teacher," I said quickly, hoping Ron wouldn't pick a fight with Malfoy now. "What were you saying about Ron's family? His father's better than yours any day." Draco glared. "Go."

They scrambled, and I leaned back and sighed.

"I'm not letting him get to me this year," Ron told us angrily. "I mean it. If Malfoy takes one more crack at my family, I'm going to get ahold of his head and…." He made a violent swinging motion.

I glanced at Professor Lupin, but he was still sound asleep. "Please, Ron, just let me take care of it. Please, I can charmspeak him any day."

Clara, though, agreed with Ron. "Wren, Kaylee might have taught him resistance to charmspeak. We know Allison and Melissa have it, at least partly, so…." she covered her mouth. "Oops."

Harry looked interested. "What's Kaylee got to do with it?"

Clara and I exchanged an uncomfortable glance. I was about to respond when the lights flickered. The train started to slow down, and Ron looked relieved.

"Great, I'm starving. I can't wait for the feast!" He started to get up, but Hermione held him back.

"We can't be there yet!"

The lights flickered again, and then went off for good. Clara immediately summoned a sunbeam, so at least we could see a little.

Harry got up to look down the corridor. All over, people were sticking their heads out to see what was going on, even though nobody could really see anything.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, alarmed.

Harry tried to step back to his seat, but even Clara's sunbeam had gone out now. We couldn't see a thing.

"Ouch, Ron, that was my foot!"

"Sorry, Hermione, it's a little dark in here!"

"Do you think we've broken down?" Clara asked.

We all shrugged, forgetting that we couldn't see each other. Ron wiped the window with his sleeve.

"I think there's people coming aboard. I think I see something moving."

The compartment door opened with a bang, and someone fell over my legs. The person got up, and I could just make out a body.

"Ouch….sorry….d'you know what's going on?"

"Hello, Neville," said Harry, helping him find his balance.

"Harry? Is that you? Any idea what's going on?"

"Dunno."

"I'm going to go talk to the driver," Hermione told us. "Stay here."

She stood up and walked toward open door, then banged her head. "Ow!"

"Ow!"

"Who's that?"

Who's _that_?"

"Hermione?"

"Ginny? What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Ron."

"Come on in, sit down."

"No, not here, _I'm_ here!" said Harry. Hermione wandered to the door again.

"Nobody move," said a hoarse voice. Professor Lupin had woken up at last.

Hermione sat back down. Unfortunately, it was on top of me. "Ow!" I said, rubbing my shin. I helped her to the seat next to me.

The door banged open again, and another body stepped in. "Who's there?" I demanded.

"Renee?"

" _Kaylee_?" I seethed. I could just see the outline of three people. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Move! Let me in!"

I practically laughed. "Are you _scared_?"

"You would be too, punk."

"Sit down," said Professor Lupin's hoarse voice. They stumbled over us to find empty seats.

He moved to open the compartment door again, but someone else got there first. A gray, glistening hand. I gulped.

Standing in front of Lupin was a cloaked figure, tall as the ceiling. It lowered its hood and drew a long, slow breath, as if it wanted more than air.

An intense cold swept over us. It felt as if it was seeping into my skin. There was a rushing in my ears not unlike the time Clara's parents had taken us to Niagara Falls. I was being pulled downward.

From very far away, I heard a man screaming, pleading. "Renee! Renee!" I heard distantly. It didn't sound like Harry, Ron, or Neville, though. I just knew I had to reach that man….

And then someone was slapping my face. "Renee! What happened? Are you okay?" I saw a flash of light right in front of my eyes.

"Clara? Who was that man?"

Clara and Hermione exchanged a dark look. "There was no man," Hermione told me. "Harry was just like this too."

Lupin was pressing chocolates into our hands. "Eat," he said. "You'll feel better."

"What _was_ that thing?" I looked at Professor Lupin.

"Dementor. One of the Dementors of Azkaban. Eat the chocolate," he repeated. Everyone stared at him. "Excuse me, I need to talk to the driver."

"Sanderson and Potter _fainted_ ," Ariana cackled. Crap, I had forgotten they were there.

"Get out!" I roared, with more charmspeak than I'd ever used before in my life. I knew those three had built up resistance to it, but I hoped it would be enough.

They didn't move. We all pulled out our wands. Quick as a whip, Harry yelled, "Expelliarmus!" The girls were disarmed, which was good. And I had a feeling they wouldn't dare transform into something large here, with so many people watching.

"Go!" I commanded again. "Go in peace and we'll give back your wands."

"Fine," they grumbled. "But you'll pay for this, you mark my words!"

I collapsed onto Clara. Now I knew what it felt like when she spent too long with a sunbeam.

"So, what happened?" I asked once the girls were gone.

"That thing-the Dementor-it looked around (or I thought it did, I couldn't see its face), and then you….you…." Hermione started to explain.

"We thought you guys were having a fit or something. You seemed to be trying to get somewhere, Renee," Ron said.

"And then Professor Lupin stepped over you, and he said, 'Go, no one is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks,' and that didn't work, so he took out his wand and muttered something and some silvery stuff shot out and repelled the Dementor," Clara finished.

"It was horrible," Neville said, in a voice higher than usual. "Did you feel how cold it was when it came in?" He shuddered, and Clara put an arm around him to comfort him.

"It felt like I'd never be happy again," Ron agreed.

Ginny gave a small sob, and Hermione went over to comfort her.

"But Harry and I were the only ones who fell off our seats?" I asked awkwardly.

"No," Ron told us. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though…."

I didn't get it. Why had it only affected Harry and me that way. A shiver went through my spine.

Professor Lupin walked back in. "Are you alright, Harry? And, um….?" He looked at me, and it was almost as if he looked familiar. I think he felt recognition as well.

"Renee. Renee Sanderson, Professor."

"Well, are you two okay?"

"Fine," we muttered, embarrassed.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," Lupin assured us. "And I haven't poisoned that chocolate, Renee and Harry."

I bit into the bar of chocolate. Surprisingly, warmth spread through my body. "Thanks."

We didn't talk for the remainder of the journey. When the train pulled into the station, there was a great scramble to get off. Owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's toad croaked under his hat. I scooped up Princess and Ginny helped Harry with Hedwig. Clara covered Dusk's cage and lowered her down. The rain was coming down in sheets, but it was better than the train.

I glanced at the carriages, which I had never seen before. "Horseless?"

Harry nodded, and we climbed into an empty one.

* * *

McGonagall and Sprout pulled us away, along with Harry and Hermione, almost the minute we reached the castle. Sprout frowned over me, and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

She groaned when she saw Harry and me. "Oh, you two again. What dangerous thing did you do _this_ time?"

McGonagall looked at her. "It was a Dementor, Poppy," she said darkly.

Pomfrey looked horrified. "Well, Harry and Renee, take some chocolate. It should help."

"We already had some," Harry told her. "Lupin gave it to us."

"Wonderful." She exchanged a look with McGonagall. "We finally have a Defense teacher who knows his remedies."

She bustled out. McGonagall looked at Clara and me. "I trust you've told your friends about your special arrangements for this year?"

"Just Harry, actually. It slipped our minds on the train today."

"Very well, then. Care of Magical Creatures is the first thing after lunch tomorrow, so we'll have you take the tests tomorrow morning, since you happen to have History of Magic first and what would be second year Defense second, Miss Bradley. Miss Sanderson, your morning schedule is exactly reversed. You'll come to my office for the Defense test first, and then you'll go to Pomona's to work out the history of magic things. She can definitely help you there."

"Sounds great." I beamed. Of course Sprout would be able to help us with History of Magic, since she herself was a daughter of Demeter. But one thing bothered me a little.

"Where's Snape? I'm _his_ student, doesn't he get a say in any of this?"

"He'd rather not be involved," Sprout said shortly. That made me wonder what was going on between them, but I wouldn't worry about.

McGonagall looked uncomfortable. "Pomona, will you kindly take these three down to the feast? I have a few things to discuss with Miss Granger for her course schedule."

We hurried down to the feast, eager not to miss any of the food.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So this chapter was a little shorter and a bit of a filler I guess, but there will be more real stuff soon. I wonder who screamed in Renee's vision, hmmm…. (I mean, I don't, but you probably do.)**_

 _ **Please review! Shoutout to**_ _ **Slytherin's-one-and-only**_ _**and**_ _ **chocolate-writing-perfection**_ _**for being my two most interested and consistent readers. Thanks.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	39. Slytherins, Tests, and Hippogriffs

**Renee POV**

As soon as I saw Kaylee, Morgana, and Ariana making fun of the way I fainted, I followed Harry to the Gryffindor table. Clara shook her head at me, but then she followed us too.

Ginny smiled, moving over to make room. Percy glared at me.

Hermione showed up not long after. She raised her eyebrows at us, but didn't say anything. Princess purred at my feet, and she seemed to like Crookshanks, so that was good. I was worried she'd be terrified of the large, orange cat monster. Mind you, I still was.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and Hermione frowned. "Aww. We've missed the sorting."

None of us really cared, of course. But it seemed to matter a bit to Hermione.

"Welcome," Dumbledore said, "welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we begin, I have some very serious announcements to make."

I glanced at Harry. Dumbledore never made announcements _before_ the feast. This had to be about Black, then.

"As you probably know, because of their search of the Hogwarts Express, Hogwarts will be playing host to the Dementors of Azkaban. They are here on ministry business. They are stationed at every exit, and they will be ruthless. I encourage you not to cross them, as they are not easily fooled by disguises or invisibility cloaks." His eyes twinkled in our direction, and I exchanged a glance with Harry and Ron. "Our Head Boy and Girl will make sure you heed them."

Percy Weasley puffed out his chest, and I looked around the hall for a girl who seemed just as arrogant. Then I remembered Sophia, Sandra's sister. She was nowhere near as haughty as Percy. Hopefully this year's Head Girl would be more like Sophia than like Percy.

Dumbledore was talking again. "On a happier note, we are pleased to welcome Professor Remus Lupin, who has kindly agreed to take on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Lupin stood up, and there was small applause. We, as the ones who had been with him in the compartment, were the loudest. I looked over my shoulder at the Slytherin table and realized how ungrateful Kaylee's crew was. _They_ had been there too.

Clara followed my gaze. "Forget them, Wren."

Dumbledore cleared his throat again. "We have a second new appointment as well." I looked around for a new teacher, but all I saw was Lupin. Maybe they were late?

"I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

The applause was much more welcoming there, especially from the Gryffindor table. Clara and I joined in.

We were the last to stop clapping. Hagrid was grinning at us and wiping his face on the tablecloth. I flashed him a thumbs up.

"I believe that is everything of importance," Dumbledore said. He waved his wand and steaming platters of food appeared.

"We should have known," Ron laughed, gnawing on a piece of fried chicken. I had to look away. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

"Ron, don't talk with your mouth full." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"By the way, you three can give me your books when we go up. I'll see if I can talk some sense into them." I winked. I had already managed to open mine, and the content was actually quite interesting. I had to remind it every day or so to behave, but other than that, there were no problems.

"What can you do?" Ron asked.

Harry kicked him under the table. "Later," he hissed.

After we could eat no more, we rushed to congratulate Hagrid. "Congratulations!" Clara squealed. Hagrid smiled.

"All down to you five, really. Dumbledore came up to me hut righ' after Kettleburn said he'd had enough. Great man, Dumbledore. He knew exactly how to cheer me up after Azkaban, this is wha' I've always wanted."

"That's great, Hagrid. Did you hear that Clara and I have special arrangements to ditch History of Magic and join Harry, Ron, and Hermione in your class?" I asked excitedly.

Hagrid nodded quickly, glancing around to make sure nobody had heard us. "I wouldn't talk too loud, Renee. Don' want other students to make a fuss."

I nodded. Hagrid showed us his new wand from Ollivander's. "Dumbledore an' McGonagall are goin' to start giving me night classes, startin' from where I left off."

"That's amazing, Hagrid."

"Again, all down to you five. But yeh should get ter bed now. Big day tomorrow." He winked at us, Clara and me in particular. "You're all in me first class, right after lunch."

* * *

Gill, Sandra, Tomasz, and Stacy fell upon me when I reached the Slytherin common room.

"Why didn't you sit with us at dinner?"

"Why are you always with the Gryffindors?"

"What happened on the train? Draco and Kaylee've been saying you fainted!"

"Did you get some chocolate? I heard that helps with Dementors?"

"Are you really taking third year level classes?"

"Do you really get to ditch History of Magic?"

"Are you playing on the Slytherin Quidditch team again? Will you take Malfoy on for seeker?"

"What happened over the summer?"

"Any idea why your devil cat always attacked my newspapers?"

Every time I started to speak, another one would ask a question. It was overwhelming.

"Guys!" I laid on the charmspeak. "Do you actually want me to answer any of this? Because if so, _let me talk_!"

My friends blushed and mumbled apologies. I smiled sweetly, but then the rest of my house came bursting in. Kaylee was still making the violent swooning motions. Then she saw us.

"Hey everyone!" She called. "Did you know Weasley thinks Sanderson's in league with Black!" Her friends cackled, but I noticed Draco wasn't among the crowd. Odd.

"Stupid Gryffindors!" Millicent Bulstrode yelled. "We need a new headmaster! Who would ever let that Percy Weasley be Head Boy?"

"Who would _ever_ let Sophia Ballias be Head Girl?" Pansy Parkinson cackled back.

Sandra buried her face in her hands, and Stacy immediately tried to comfort her.

Morgana bumped into me, hard. "Oops," she simpered. "Didn't see you there." The Slytherin girls cracked up. Some of the boys came in then.

"Oh look, it's the Half-Blood Traitor!" Theodore Nott yelled. I waited for Malfoy to say something, but he just shrugged.

"We should start telling _everyone_ that Sanderson's working with Black!" Ariana cackled.

Gill and Tomasz were upon her before I could stop them. "She is not!" Gill yelled, punching Ariana in the stomach.

"Ooh, _testy_ , someone's got a _girlfriend_!" Ariana didn't appear hurt at all. Morgana stepped up behind her and punched Tomasz in the head. He fell.

Sandra leapt forward. "You had no right to do that! Stacy, give her detention!"

"I'll overrule, punk!" Warrington guffawed.

"You can't overrule, we have the same power. Morgana Fletcher, as for you, Snape _will_ hear about this!"

Millicent Bulstrode had me in a headlock, and Kaylee was pulling out her wand. I thought really hard about my sword, which was bigger than Luke's. I'd never tried to summon it before, but if I ever wanted to, the time would be now.

A pen appeared in my hand. Ariana seemed to be the only one who noticed, but she screamed, her eyes flashing different colors.

I guessed it would be just like Percy Jackson's. I yanked the cap off, and the sword expanded to full size.

"I'll tell Snape! That's an attack!" Kaylee cried as I broke free from Millicent's strong grip.

"Like you wouldn't know," I seethed.

"Renee! Renee, put it away!" Stacy looked horrified. But aside from my friends, the audience was looking happier than Christmas day.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Pansy had started, and soon the whole room was cheering. Oddly, though, Draco Malfoy looked nervous. He ran out of the portrait hole, but I think I was the only one who noticed.

 _Coward_ , I thought. _The fight wasn't even addressed to you!_

Kaylee, Morgana, and Ariana circled around me. The crowd kept cheering. Stacy shuddered and started trying to keep everything in control.

Before the girls could do anything, however, Malfoy was back, with Snape in tow. Kaylee blew up with profanities.

"Detention, you three," he said lazily, pointing at Sandra, Gill, and me.

Stacy was outraged. "They didn't do _anything_ , Professor!" She begged, then walked over to us. "I'm going to talk to Dumbledore," she whispered, before storming from the room.

Sandra was shaking. I looked at her, Gill, and Tomasz. "Let's go. I know a place we can get away," I mumbled to them.

We ran out before anyone could stop us, and I decided to send a Drachma to Clara. I stopped in a bathroom and turned on the sink.

"Oh Iris accept my offering," I muttered quickly. "Clarissa Mal-Bradley, Hufflepuff common room!" I had almost slipped up and said Malfoy in front of my friends. That was something only Clara could tell people, and she would decide who and when.

"Renee!" Clara gasped. "What are you doing? Do you need something?"

"Can we come into the _room_?"

"What? Where are you?"

"There was a fight in the snake pit, we need somewhere to chill for a while."

"Yeah, come on down. Who's with you?"

"Sandra, Gill, and Tomasz."

"Cool, meet you outside the yellow brick road."

I nodded. I wasn't sure when we had developed code names for the houses, or even if we had established them, but I suspected it would be useful, especially if we could come up with ones for Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and especially the CHB cabins.

"What was that?" Sandra asked. "Isn't yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz?"

"Enchanted communication coins," I lied. "Ron got them in Egypt. And yes, but in this case, it means Hufflepuff."

I lead the way down to the Hufflepuff common room. "Why have you never shown us this before?" Gill demanded.

I shrugged. "A little busy with the Chamber of Secrets, I guess." We all laughed nervously.

Clara was waiting for us, just like she said she would. She led us to the door to the secret room, and punched in "protection" into the keypad.

"What's protection?" I asked. I knew you could set up passwords for the room, but this seemed different.

"General password setting. There's a few; blocked, protection, danger, I'm not sure what else. Those are the main ones. For these situations. Protection means there was a problem in one of the houses. I think this cancels out sound so we can talk."

"Your house is totally amazing," Sandra told Clara. "Slytherin is just a bunch of couches."

Clara chuckled. "Thanks." She looked at me, her face serious. "What happened?"

"Kaylee," I hissed. "And her thugs."

"She attacked you on the first day back?" Clara was alarmed.

"She started a fight because she told everyone that Percy Weasley thinks Renee's in league with Black. I retaliated by punching Ariana in the stomach," Gill told Clara solemnly.

"Then Morgana punched me in the head, and I fell back. Sandra told Stacy to give her detention, but Millicent Bulstrode and Kaylee had launched a double attack on Renee," Tomasz explained. Clara looked horrified.

"So then," Sandra continued, "Renee turned a pen into a sword, and Pansy Parkinson started everyone cheering, 'fight, fight, fight,' and then Malfoy appeared with Snape and he gave us all detention. Well, not Tomasz, but me and Renee and Gill. So then Stacy went to talk to Dumbledore, and we didn't feel safe, so we came here."

Clara raised her eyebrows at me, and I knew what she was thinking. _You almost blew our cover, Renee._ I knew that I had, and I would have to be more careful around them.

"I need to go find Stacy!" Sandra said suddenly. "She doesn't know where we are!" Tomasz got up with her.

"Do you know how to get back in?" Clara asked.

"Um….you want us here?"

"Just bang the pots to the tune of 'Helga Hufflepuff. You're staying the night, all four of you. Especially you two, you _cannot_ spend tonight with _those three_."

She went out to talk to Cedric, one of the prefects. "It's not safe for them to return tonight," she said.

"Blankets, pillows, and extra robes in the closet on the right." He looked at us. "There should really be a better place for this. I'm sorry you four had that experience with the Slytherins tonight."

One day soon, we would find out there was a better place, another room where we wouldn't need to disturb anyone, but for now, this was great.

"Thanks, Cedric."

Sandra came back in a few moments later. "We found her. And we grabbed some of your stuff from the Slytherin dorms." She held my cat in disgust.

"Thanks." I took Princess from her hands. The cat was hissing at her.

"Why are you so mean to Sandra, huh girl?" She meowed in my arms. Sandra rolled her eyes.

That night, we all had trouble sleeping. Clara had gone back to her dormitory, and we were alone in the room.

I sensed that everyone was awake. "Guys," I whispered, "we need a pact."

"What kind of pact?" Gill asked. He was no closer to sleep than I was. Sandra and Tomasz looked at me as well.

"We need to promise that none of us will ever turn….like _them_." They all knew who I meant.

"What should be the consequence if we ever do?" wondered Tomasz. "It would have to be pretty severe." He rubbed his head.

We pondered that for a minute. I didn't want them to swear on the Styx, because what if there was a mistake? I didn't want them _dead_.

"Then the rest of us will promise to never talk to you again," Sandra said.

We all thought that sounded like a good idea. Not too harsh, just enough to make us stick to it. After that, we fell asleep easily.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I banged on the door of the extra Hufflepuff room. Apparently, Slytherins were not morning people.

Gill blinked sleepily at me, and then seemed to remember where he was. He motioned for me to come in.

"Protection," I whispered, and the door opened for me.

"First day of classes, up you get!" I called. "Breakfast in ten minutes."

"What time do you call this?" Tomasz said groggily, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Sophy, stop," Sandra grumbled.

Renee, though, realized the sound of my voice and jumped up in alarm. She pulled Sandra up, knowing the latter would help Tomasz. They waited outside with me while Gill and Tomasz changed into their robes, then went in to change into theirs.

We walked to the Great Hall, and Renee squeezed my arm. On the first day, almost everyone came to breakfast. I ate a plate of waffles with fruit over at the Hufflepuff table. I offered the Slytherins to sit there as well, but Renee said they were going to have to face Slytherin sometime. She'd definitely gotten a lot braver since this time last year.

Everyone got up as the warning bell rang for first class. I set off in the opposite direction of Kat and Rebecca.

"Where are you going?" asked Lucy, another girl from my year. "We have History of Magic now."

"Um…." I didn't know Lucy that well, so I didn't want to tell her the truth. "I forgot my quill. I need to go back and get it." I knew that the girls would all ask me questions later, but I had to go to McGonagall's office for the test.

Renee caught up to me on the stairs. "Nervous?"

"A little. I think we'll get in, though."

"Me too."

* * *

"All right, so these quills are bewitched with anti-cheating spells, which means we will know if you cheat. Not that you would, of course."

We nodded. "Unlike a final test," she continued, "there will be no practical application on this. It is all writing. Professor Lupin has said he is very willing to have you in his class. You'll only need a thirty percent or higher to get in. That does not mean, however, that you should not try your very best."

"Thanks for this opportunity," I said.

"Oh, and Miss Sanderson," McGonagall said kindly, "I would like you to know that Dumbledore has repealed your detention, and will be talking with Professor Snape about the way he doles out punishments shortly. Miss Ballias and Mister Bellis have also been cleared, as I am sure they know."

"Thank you for telling me, Professor."

"Thank Stacy Ballias, she's a Prefect who'll actually do something. That girl's going to follow in her sister's steps, mark my word."

She passed out the quills, and we began. All told, the test was fairly easy. It asked about both creatures and spells. Some of the questions made me smile, as if somebody knew _exactly_ what we had done this summer. For example, question 49 was:

A Hydra is attacking your camp. How do you stop it?

Pound its heads in

Slice off all its heads at once

Burn the stubs so they can't regrow ( _incendio_ might be a good spell)

Panic

So all in all, the test was pretty easy. I knew I didn't get everything right, but I was close enough. I would definitely be getting into Harry's class.

When we were done, we made our way to Sprout's office for the History of Magic plan. "Did you think it was easy?" Renee asked.

"Yeah."

"Me too. What about question 49, huh? Do you think they could have known?"

"Nah, probably just lucky."

"But it had literally _everything_ we did!"

"Okay, fine. Maybe Chiron told Sprout."

"We barely even told Chiron!" Renee protested, and then we couldn't stop laughing. Renee glanced around quickly, hoping nobody could have been listening, but the bell hadn't rung yet for second class. We were safe.

Despite being a Hufflepuff, I had never been to Sprout's office. The first thing I noticed, it was comfortable. Like, very comfortable. Even more than our common room. There were fluffy couches and cushions everywhere. It had the air of safety.

"Come right in," Professor Sprout told us. She looked relaxed, sitting on the floor and tending to her plants.

"I've heard you two had a very eventful summer," she continued once we had sat down on the comfy chairs. "Chiron told me the big picture. I suppose there'll have to be a battle with Kronos eventually." She sighed.

"When Percy turns sixteen," I said without thinking. Renee raised her eyebrows at me. "Oh," I mumbled.

"Percy Jackson? Is this the prophecy that led the Big Three to stop having children?"

"How did you….when was that prophecy made?"

"Shortly after the Second World War, I believe. Because that had some influence on it. I forget what, exactly." She paused in thought. "Did Chiron show you the prophecy? I mean, it's not likely to be related to you, is it?"

I paused, remembering that Juniper had said she'd had a fallout with the camp. But Chiron seemed to still trust her.

"He didn't show us," I said slowly. "But he told us, Percy and me, enough. I'm supposed to be some sort of accomplice. Like, the choices I make will influence his big final decision. And I saved him from Luke last year, the first time he tried to kill Percy. So yes, I am very much involved. And it's terrifying."

Sprout raised her eyebrows. "I'll be having words with Chiron about what he tells me and what he 'forgets.' He and I are your primary guardians now, even for Clarissa, who lives with the Bradleys. He has to get better at consulting me."

Renee was shocked. "What do you mean, you and Chiron are our primary guardians? I mean, I know Clara's parents said they want to hear everything from _you_ , but what is this?"

"We'll be doing our best to take care of you."

Renee had more questions, and she was adamant. "But what about the Hydra? How on earth did you know that? We didn't even tell _Chiron_!"

"Ah, but your friend Miss Chase did. She tells Chiron everything, and it's a good thing too. We gave you that question as a bit of a freebie."

Renee started to speak again, but I said, "Wren, quit while you're ahead." She nodded, annoyed.

"Anyway, for your history component, you'll want to brush up on your giant wars, as well as your ancient Greek and even Roman history. I think you'll find that your worlds really do intertwine. I have quite a few books to get you started." She pulled a list from her bag. "Geminio." The spell duplicated the lists. "This should have a group of things to get you started. And trust me, you'll need this, not just for school. That's partly why Minerva and I convinced Dumbledore to pull you out of History of Magic. That, and it's ridiculously boring. I had Binns the Ghost as _my_ professor at Hogwarts. Now, I don't like to talk badly about my colleagues, but Binns is different."

Renee and I couldn't look at each other for fear of laughing too much. Sprout winked.

* * *

We caught up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as we walked down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. As usual, Hermione and Ron were bickering about something or other.

"I assure you," Ron was saying, "there's nothing woolly about that cup."

"You didn't seem so sure when you said it was a sheep!"

Renee and I glanced at Harry for some sort of explanation.

Harry rolled his eyes. "We had our first Divination lesson today. Apparently, the tea leaves in my cup had 'the Grim,' which is an omen of death. Hermione doesn't believe in Divination at all, but Ron thinks it means I'm in danger."

"Well yeah, you're Harry Potter! You've always been in danger!" Renee burst out. Harry and I doubled over laughing.

"Well, it's not funny when you have a death omen," Ron snapped.

"Oh come on, Ron!" Hermione said, exasperated. "McGonagall says she predicts the death of one student each year. She just knows Harry's past. Honestly!"

"My uncle Bilius saw one once, and he was terrified. He died three days later!" Ron said, ignoring her.

"Well there you go then. He died of fright!"

Something brought them back to reality as we reached the hut. "Crap, we're with _them_?" Renee groaned. "Nobody told me. I thought this was _safe_!"

I glared at my _half-brother_ , but instead of being intimidated, he came over to take a closer look.

"What are you doing here, _Bradley_?" He said it as if he knew something. "Ah, and _Sanderson_. When will you tell them you're working with Black?"

The other Slytherins roared with laughter, and I blew up. "Don't talk to my best friend like that!" A sunbeam was forming in my hands. I wanted to fling it, fling all the sunbeams at them and never, ever stop.

Luckily, though, Hagrid came out of the forest just then, leading winged, beaked horses. We all took a large step back.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

I didn't like the look of those horse things. They definitely weren't the Pegasi that my sisters and I loved so much. I shuddered.

"Okay, everyone open your books to page 23," Hagrid told us. I fumbled for mine in my bag, and my friends did the same, but everyone else just stared.

"Um," Malfoy drawled, " _how_ exactly are we supposed to _do_ that?"

"Wha…." Hagrid looked crestfallen when he saw that only the five of us had managed it. "You don't know how to open them?"

"Why would we?" Pansy Parkinson simpered. "They _attacked_ us!"

Hagrid looked very disappointed. "Well, you stroke 'em, see. Like this." He picked up Malfoy's Monster Book and calmly stroked the side, like he had no fear of it attacking him. Then again, we'd met the acromantula he had raised as a student, so that wasn't at all surprising.

"Oh silly me," Malfoy sneered. "We should have _stroked_ them."

Hagrid frowned. "I….I thought they were funny."

"Oh, tremendously funny. I was rolling on the floor laughing as I battled it for my _life_!"

"Shut up, Malfoy. You saw last night what I could do. Unless you want some more of that, let Hagrid teach."

Hagrid smiled at me. "Now, who can tell me what we're gonna be dealing with today?"

Hermione's hand narrowly missed Clara's as it shot up. Hagrid looked impressed that Hermione wasn't the only one answering.

"Clarissa?"

"They're hippogriffs, aren't they, Hagrid?"

"Exactly right, and you'd be a fool to mess with them. To approach one, you have to bow and let it make the first move. If it trusts you, it will bow down to you. If not, well, back away quick. Take a point for Hufflepuff."

"Wait until my father hears they've got this oaf teaching classes," Draco whispered loudly to his friends. "And that Dumbledore let _babies_ take this class! They're not even thirteen!"

Hagrid glanced at me meaningfully, and then ignored Malfoy, trying to tell us to do that too. He continued speaking. "Now, who wants to go first?"

Everyone stepped back. Finally, out of pity for Hagrid, I stepped up. Harry did too, and I knew he wanted to protect me.

"Ah, let's see then, we'll get Harry to try with Buckbeak here, and what about Renee with Pearlhoof? Perfect."

Lavender and Parvati squealed, "No, Harry, remember your tea leaves!" but we ignored them.

I extended my neck just a little bit forward, and Harry did the same. Pearlhoof was easy to work with, but Buckbeak stomped his hoof at Harry.

"Back up!" Hagrid yelled. "Harry, there you….oh." While originally distrustful, the other hippogriff was now bowing to Harry as mine had done to me.

"So you can touch them now, pat their beaks," Hagrid was saying. "And then I reckon we could even get you riding on these two."

Harry and I looked at each other in alarm, but I thought _I've ridden on Hippocampi. How different can it be?_

Pearlhoof lowered her neck to let me on, and Hagrid helped me get into position. He did the same for a reluctant Harry.

I was wrong that it would be just like Rainbow. The hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably against me, and I feared I was going to fall. Pearlhoof turned and skimmed the lake, which was surprisingly blue, before landing softly back in front of Hagrid. Buckbeak and Harry landed beside us. Harry was smiling, albeit uncomfortably. The whole class cheered, except for Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. I wanted to go over there and kick them.

After they had seen how easy and fun it looked, everyone wanted a try. Harry and I sat and watched as our friends went up. But then, as is bound to happen on happy occasions like this, disaster struck. This time, it was in the form of Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson.

"I bet you aren't even dangerous, are you?" He taunted Buckbeak.

Pansy followed him to Pearlhoof. "You're so pretty, there's no _way_ you could _ever_ hurt anyone!."

It happened in the blink of an eye. They both reared up and attacked. Pansy scrambled away, but Draco wasn't so lucky.

"My arm!" He cried. "It's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'!" Hagrid yelled. "Someone get the gate….gotta get him ter the hospital wing."

Clara rushed forward to do it, probably out of an obligation of blood. They _were_ related, after all. Ew.

"Class dismissed," Hagrid said hurriedly, before rushing Malfoy to the hospital wing.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So here's 39. Sorry this was kind of rushed together and a lot of things happening. Did you like the Slytherin stuff? I kind of threw it in there, but I think it adds a lot.**_

 _ **I'm hoping to get at least one more post out before I leave for camp on July 9th. I'm also planning on starting a series of wedding one-shots for Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, Disney, and possibly others. Message me if there's ship stories you'd like to see. Thanks.**_


	40. Rumors and Fearful Truths

_**A/N: I'm so happy about how my first Wedding took off! I got quite a few new followers and favorites for that story. Next one will be Percabeth, a request from**_ _ **chocolate-writing-perfection**_ _ **. Please nominate any other ships for me to do a Wedding fic for.**_

 _ **Also, for those of you expecting more of the Harry/Ron ship, I'm really sorry. I'm thinking about the best way to do it, and I've realized that part of the problem is that I get very particular about the little things, and it almost has to be by the book for me. I read the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books as I write this fic, and I get very hyperfocused on details. I can't do more than one full story at once, currently, especially if I'm trying to stick to canon. I really want to take Clarissa Jeanne Malfoy and Renee Andromeda Sanderson and just wrap them up in my arms, I love them so much. So I'm focusing on them and my one-shots right now. Anyway, on to the chapter.**_

* * *

 **Renee POV**

The next day, there were four rumors going around, all of which concerned me. Kaylee and Draco were still bothering me and Harry for the fainting episodes on the train, and that had spread over the last three days. Somehow, everyone also knew that Clara and I were taking Care of Magical Creatures and advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. Care of Magical Creatures made sense, but I had no idea how anyone had found out about Defense.

Those were the good rumors, but there were less helpful ones too. Malfoy had spread the knowledge about his arm, and within Slytherin, it had turned into a story about how _I_ had set the Hippogriffs on him. Somehow, people had also started believing that I was with Sirius Black. I suspected Ariana and Morgana for that one.

Gill and Tomasz made sure to walk with me from class to class, acting as bodyguards. I tried to tell them they didn't have to, but they insisted.

"You have enemies on every front, though," Gill pointed out when I asked them to stop. "The Slytherins hate you for Malfoy's sake, and everyone else thinks you're with Black."

"Draco's in the hospital wing acting all heroic and eating chocolate with his arm in a sling," I protested, but I was glad they weren't abandoning me. It had been way worse the previous year, when everyone had thought I was the Heir of Slytherin, and then even Sandra and Tomasz didn't talk to me. Now, I had them, as well as a house prefect who would be as cunning as she needed to defend her sister and friends.

Clara told me she felt bad for Malfoy, and that she was very happy that Gill and Tomasz were always with me.

"Draco's a sore loser," I complained. "And you know perfectly well I don't need _boys_ to protect me. For the gods' sake, Gill's shorter than I am!"

Clara had to laugh at that.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

Harry told us Malfoy was back in classes the day of our first Defense lesson. As we walked up to Lupin's classroom, I had the feeling that Gill had dropped a word to Harry to try and act as bodyguards, because he and Ron were doing the exact same things Gill and Tomasz had been doing all week. I thought Renee noticed too, and she didn't seem too thrilled about it.

We sat down together, and I was just pulling out my books and parchment when Lupin walked in, looking as tired and disheveled as ever. "Put those away," he told us. "Take your things and follow me. Today we will be having a practical lesson in the staffroom."

There was excited chatter, apparently the class had had about as many practical lessons as we had.

"Now I _really_ hope this guy is better than Lockhart's," a girl whispered to her friend. "We already have to deal with Black's helper, what's her name, Raquel or whatever. I don't want another Lockhart episode."

Renee exploded. "I am _not_ conspiring with Sirius Black! And it's _Renee_! Remember that, because you'll be in my class for the rest of your Hogwarts career! And what's your name again? Lilac?" Renee grinned sourly.

"It's Lavender, you fool!"

I couldn't help but laugh, and Harry and Ron joined in. Hermione rolled her eyes and gave a small smile. Even when Renee was angry, she could still manage to be sassy. I threw my arms around her, directing her away from Lavender and towards the staffroom, where Snape was sitting. "Leave the door open, I'd rather not witness this," we heard his sneering voice say as turned the corner.

Snape got up as we entered. "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Neville went red, and I surged forward. "You had no right to say that! You evil git!"

Renee and Hermione held me back from doing anything rash. I was getting ready to hurl a sunbeam at Snape, so I guess it was lucky that they did.

Snape clucked his tongue. "Oh, that's right. You have inept second years in this class as well, Lupin. Same cautions for them, and I think you'll get along _very_ well with Miss Sanderson here." He stormed from the room.

I glanced at Renee, who shrugged, but Lupin had gone pale.

"Well then," he said. "Neville, I was actually hoping you would help me with a little demonstration. Nothing bad, pretty simple. Now, who can tell me what a Boggart is?

Hermione put up her hand, and a few people shuddered as the cabinet rattled. "It's a shape-shifter," she said when called on. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

A boy behind me looked sick, and Lavender shuddered. I was totally invested in what Hermione was saying, though.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Lupin said. Hermione glowed. "Now," he continued, "the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. Nobody knows what one truly looks like, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. So we have an advantage. Have you spotted it, Renee?"

I knew how hard it could be answering a question with Hermione begging to be seen beside you, but Renee seemed certain in her answer. "Um...there are so many of us, so it won't know what shape to form?"

"Exactly." Lupin grinned at her. "It's always good to have company when dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake, against two people and turned into half a slug. Amusing and not remotely frightening.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is _laughter_. What you need to do is force it into a shape that you find amusing.

"We'll practice the charm without wands first. Repeat after me: _riddikulus_!"

" _Riddikulus_!" The class shouted.

"Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is your role, Neville."

Neville whimpered, but Lupin kept talking. "Now, Neville, what would you say is the thing that frightens you the most?"

Neville's lips moved, but no sound came out. I thought I could tell what he was thinking, though.

"Sorry, Neville, didn't catch that."

"Professor Snape," Neville mumbled, barely audible.

Nearly everyone laughed, but I held myself back. Knowing what Renee had been through, it made total sense for Neville to be terrified of Snape. Neville gave an apologetic smile, as if saying, _not my problem if you have a problem_ , and I felt my face get hot. He was cute when he smiled like that.

Lupin looked thoughtful. "Hmm, let's see, I think we can work with that. You live with your grandmother, correct?"

Neville nodded. "But I don't want the boggart to turn into her either," he added nervously.

Lupin shook his head. "No, you misunderstand me. Tell me, can you picture her clothes?"

Neville looked startled, but said, "A long dress, green usually. And a hat, a big one with a stuffed vulture. And….um…."

"Handbag?" Lupin suggested.

"Yeah, a big red one. And sometimes a scarf, from fox fur." Neville seemed to know just about as much of what was going on as I did.

"Alright, then. Can you picture those very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

Neville nodded, bewildered.

"When the boggart bursts out of this cabinet, Neville, and sees you, he will assume the form of professor Snape. And you will raise your wand-" Lupin displayed the correct wand motion- "and shout, ' _riddikulus_!' while concentrating on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Snape will be forced into that vulture-stuffed hat and the green dress with the big red handbag." The class burst out laughing, and the boggart rattled furiously. Lupin, however, continued. "If Neville is successful, the boggart will turn his attention to each of you in turn, so I want you to think about what scares you the most."

The rest of the class muttered to themselves, but I was already certain about what I was scared of. I remembered the sarcophagus from the _Princess Andromeda_ , and shuddered. Kronos was in there, and facing him….well, that would be a nightmare. The coffin could become a jack-in-the-box, which would be funny.

Renee seemed to be thinking. "Everyone ready?" Lupin asked. She and Harry seemed to glance at each other, and I could tell they weren't ready, but they nodded and stepped back with the rest of the class.

Lupin pointed his wand at the doorknob, and the wardrobe burst open. Snape stormed out, and reached into his robes. Neville mouthed wordlessly, and I held my breath.

" _R-r-riddikulus,_ " Neville squeaked. " _Riddikulus_!" The boggart stumbled, and was suddenly wearing the long green dress with the red handbag and vulture hat. We all laughed and cheered, which slightly confused the boggart. "

Lupin called, "Parvati! Forward!" and Snape turned into a bloody mummy.

" _Riddikulus_!"

The mummy fell at the floor, tripping over one of his bandages, and Lupin called Dean forward. With a loud _crack!_ , The mummy turned into a banshee, then _crack!_ , a rat, _crack!_ , then it was my turn.

I took a deep breath as the boggart turned toward me, but I wasn't at all expecting what happened next. He split into five pieces; four people on a ship. It was Luke, flanked by Kaylee, Ariana, and Morgana. Ariana and Morgana grew into Allison and Melissa the giants before my eyes, and I shrieked.

* * *

I woke up in a white room and grasped for my wand. There was a loud _splash_! as I knocked over a glass of water. Madam Pomfrey bustled in.

"Oh dear," she said. "Reparo." The glass mended itself.

"What am I doing here? The last thing I remember, I was on the _Princess Andromeda_ , except that I wasn't, but Luke and Kaylee and Morgana and Ariana were there, and then…." Something nagged at my brain.

Madam Pomfrey looked frightened. "Sanderson," she called, "She's awake!"

I gave a sigh of relief as I saw my best friend standing in the doorway of the hospital wing. She rushed over to me. "Clara! I….you….the boggart….fainted."

"What?"

"Lupin had the boggart, and I don't think you saw what you expected to see, which he said can happen, and then you kind of fainted."

"I expected to see Kronos' sarcophagus," I agreed, finally realizing what had happened. "But my worst fear…." I didn't want to face the truth. "My worst fear is much worse. It's Luke, and it's the power he has combined with Kaylee. It's the fight we had on the _Princess Andromeda_ if Chiron hadn't been there! It's….what time is it?"

I didn't really want to know how long I had been out, how much this had affected me. But I needed to know anyway.

"It's close to midnight, I think. You've been out for hours, Clara! Harry and the others all went to bed, but they told me to wake them when you got up. I brought you some dinner."

"It's close to _midnight_ , Wren? What? How?"

"Well….you went into shock, apparently. It's a truth that no one wants to be told, he said, when someone realizes their worst fear isn't what they thought it is."

"Who brought me here?"

Renee blushed. "Hermione and Seamus, actually. Lupin kind of just sent them, because they were nearest to you. I didn't have a say in the matter."

"So did yours work?"

"I don't know, we ran out of time. Oh, but there _was_ something funny, or at least Harry and I thought it was, nobody else really saw anything wrong. Well, Lupin blocked Harry from doing it, because he thought Harry wasn't up to it after the dementor, or at least that's what we think."

"Are you kidding?" I sat up. "I'm sure you're seeing that wrong. Is there anyone else here?"

"Just us. Why?"

"I want to Iris message Chiron. Tell him that me being the sidekick of the prophecy is going to be more complicated than we thought. Will you keep watch and keep Pomfrey away?"

Renee shrugged. "Sure." She walked out, and I drew the curtains.

"Oh Iris, accept this offering," I muttered, hoping the water glass would make enough of a rainbow. "Chiron at Camp Half Blood."

Chiron was in his office, listening to Dean Martin and typing on the one camp computer. "Chiron," I whispered.

"Clarissa? Sorry, didn't see you there. What's up?"

I quickly explained about the boggart. "So, as the sidekick of the prophecy, I don't think I can do this."

"That must have been terrifying," Chiron agreed. "You were out for how many hours?"

"Ten or twelve, I think. I'm not exactly sure."

"Has Pomona been informed?"

"Hold on…." I peeked my head out at Renee. "Does Sprout know?"

Renee nodded.

"That's a yes," I told Chiron.

"Good. I will advise her to tell this new professor about your special circumstances. I believe you know which professors already do know?"

"Um….well, Sprout, McGonagall, and Dumbledore, right?"

"Yes, and Hagrid, Snape, and Flitwick."

"Snape knows? That'll be news to Renee, she'd, well, I don't know. Anyway, that's more than I thought. Did Lockhart know last year?"

"Him? No way! Clara, do you really think we'd stoop _that_ low? But I want to put in a word to Sprout to tell Lupin, to train you with this, what did you call them? Boggarts? This will be very useful to you, Clara, for preparing for the final battle with Kronos. Also, even though you will hate it, I encourage you to find ways to interact with Kaylee, Ariana, and Morgana. Whether it is fighting or even peace, you will need to work on this. I've talked to your father, and he believes Percy is the most likely to be the prophecy child, even with Thalia's return."

"And I'm the accomplice," I muttered grimly. "Great."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So here's chapter 40. I'm absolutely shocked I've come this far, forty is a huge milestone! I'm so happy I've decided to stick with this, I can't imagine giving it up.**_

 _ **Anyway, I wasn't planning on putting in the shock scare with Clara, but I couldn't really figure any other way for her to adjust to the change in fears, which I had been planning.**_

 _ **I hope you liked it, please review.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	41. A Black Halloween

_**A/N: Sorry I've been MIA for the last little while. I meant to finish this chapter before camp, but some stuff happened in real life that held me back. I hope you haven't missed me too much. Sorry!**_

* * *

 **Clara POV**

Classes had gotten considerably slower after those first few days. Hagrid had us working with Flobberworms, extremely boring worms that ate a lot and did nothing else. The only class where we were actually doing anything was Defense Against the Dark Arts.

From Boggarts, we had progressed onto Red Caps, nasty little creatures that lurked wherever there was blood; kappas, little water-dwelling, scaly, monkey-like creatures; and we were about to start on Grindylows soon.

At least Renee had Quidditch practice to keep her busy. Cedric had put up tryout notices, but there were no Chaser options, which would have been the only position I wanted to even bother with. Obviously, he would be playing Seeker. The two positions open were the two Beaters and the Keeper, neither of which I would have been very good at. So I was content with cheering for Renee or Harry in all games except Hufflepuff.

One morning, we woke up and met Harry, Ron, and Hermione at breakfast. Renee wanted to sit with Ginny, as they were working on their essay for Snape that was due later that day, and I followed them to the Gryffindor table.

Ron glared at us when I walked in. "Have you seen your precious _Princess_ lately?"

"Um…." Renee wasn't sure. "She can roam the castle, can't she?"

"Ron's upset because he thinks my cat and yours have a personal grudge against Scabbers. His rat is apparently terrified."

Renee rolled her eyes. "It's what cats _do_ , Ron. It's in their nature."

"Well, keep your cat out of the Gryffindor tower, then!"

"Oh, so she's _not_ allowed to roam the castle, then?" Renee shot back cooly.

"Guys, stop. We don't need this today, Wren, we've got our Transfiguration quiz to worry about! And besides, _look_!" I pointed over at the doors, where Lavender brown was being comforted by some of the other Gryffindor girls.

"I'm supposed to care about _her_?" Renee moaned.

"She's _crying_ , Wren, for the gods' sake!" I scooted over to make room for her between Ginny and me. Renee glared.

"What's wrong, Lavender?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

"It's my bunny, Blinky. He was killed by a fox."

"Oh, Lavender, I'm sorry-"

"Do you know what day it is?" She glared at Hermione and Renee. They exchanged a glance. "It's October sixteenth! Remember what Trelawney said? That thing you are dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth day of October!"

"You….you were dreading Blinky being killed by a fox?" Renee asked, slightly rudely.

"Well, I must have been dreading him dying, mustn't I?"

"Was he an _old_ rabbit?" Hermione asked.

"No! He was just a baby!"

"Then how could you have been dreading him dying, if this has come as a shock to you?" I glared at Renee, but she wouldn't shut up.

Hermione, though, seemed to see where she was coming from. "Well, look at it logically. I mean, Blinky didn't even die _today_ , did he? It's just when you got the news? And Renee's right, you're totally in shock! You can't be _dreading_ something that _shocks_ you!"

Ron gave us a death glare. "Don't mind them," he said loudly. "They don't care about anyone's pets except their own!" He stormed off in a huff, and Harry gave us an apologetic look before following.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

It was getting closer and closer to Halloween, and Ron _still_ wasn't speaking to me. On the day of the Halloween feast, there was a Hogsmeade trip, which actually did get he and Hermione speaking again, because of Harry's woes. McGonagall had denied him access into Hogsmeade, and they had both promised to make it up to him. And yet Ron was still seething at me.

At night, I would make sure Princess was never out of the Slytherin dormitories, but she was a cat, so of course she would get out. So apparently, she still got out and would go find Crookshanks, and they'd cause all kinds of mischief together.

I still had no idea what to do for Clara for her birthday. Luckily, though, Kat and Rebecca did, and they had made her stay in the Hufflepuff common room all day.

I went down to the library to try and find some ideas. Obviously, I didn't think anything could top last year's badger dress, so I wasn't even going to ask Mom for anything.

Maybe I could figure out a way to spell out "Happy Birthday Clara" in gigantic gold lights across the Great Hall tonight. Or maybe I could get the house elves to bake her a cake. Or maybe I could even-

"What are you doing?" It was Filch, the caretaker, who everyone hated.

"Nothing," I said honestly.

"Then get back to your common room where you belong."

I nodded absently. I'd just find a different way to the library.

I walked a little while longer, and then heard, "Renee?"

"Harry?" He was standing with Professor Lupin.

"Hello, Renee. Harry was just going to join me for a spot of tea in my office. Would you like to come?"

I nodded and followed Harry and Lupin.

"Come on in. I've just taken a delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson."

"A what?" I asked.

"A grindylow, didn't I mention them?" Harry and I glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Shouldn't be much trouble for you guys, especially after the kappas. The trick is to break his grip. See those abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle.

The grindylow buried himself in a clump of weeds and barred his teeth at us.

"Cup of tea?" Asked Lupin, reaching around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one, although I've only got teabags." He frowned at harry. "And I daresay you've had enough of those?"

"How did you know about that?" Harry asked, then looked sheepishly at me.

"What's the problem with teabags?"

"Professor McGonagall told me," Lupin said.

"When I was in Divination my first lesson, I saw a 'death omen' of something called 'the Grim' in my tea dregs. Don't take that class next year, I swear, Renee…."

Lupin chuckled slightly, and Harry gave him a small glare.

"I've never seen a Gryffindor and a Slytherin act so fond of each other." Lupin smiled.

Harry looked like a sudden thought had struck him. "Professor, why didn't you let me have a go with the Boggart?"

Lupin raised his eyebrows. "I would have thought that was obvious."

Harry glanced at me, and I had no idea what to say. Finally-

"Why?" I demanded coolly. "Why would it have been 'obvious,' then?"

"Well, I assumed that if the boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."

My mouth dropped open. "You actually said his name!"

"Yes, Renee, I did. As I am sure Dumbledore has told you, fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself."

"Of course. I mean, Clara and I can say the name all the time, but I've never heard anyone use it aside from Harry and Dumbledore. So Harry, _that's_ the reason! He didn't think you were weak at all!"

Lupin smiled. "I didn't exactly think it would be a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the classroom. I imagined people would panic, and people were already worried about what happened with Clara. What would it have been for you?"

Harry and I didn't really know which of us he was talking to, so we both spoke at once: "A dementor."

"Really? For both of you?"

"At first I thought of Voldemort," Harry said slowly. "But then I remembered that night on the train."

I nodded as a shiver went down my spine. "We….we were both out cold. It was horrible. At first, _I_ thought of losing Clara, because that's already happened twice. But then I remembered that cold, boneless, gray hand."

"That's very wise, both of you. That shows that the thing you most fear is fear itself. I'm impressed."

Harry and I stared at the wall and sipped some more tea. Finally, Lupin said, "You believed I thought you incapable of fighting the boggart? Know, Harry, that I cannot find you incapable of anything after what you-what both of you-have faced."

I knew then that Sprout must have told him, and I grinned. "It's okay. Harry knows. You can talk freely here."

Lupin smiled. "In that case, tell me about what I can do to help."

I really hadn't been expecting that. I kind of shrugged. "I need to figure out what to get Clara for her birthday," I mumbled.

Lupin just smiled. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but okay. When is her birthday?"

I was about to respond when the door opened with a bang. Snape came in carrying a goblet. It was smoking a little bit.

"Ah Severus. Thank you very much. Leave it on the desk for me, will you?"

Snape set down the smoking goblet and glared at me. "And now _what_ are you doing with _Potter_?" He spat, his eyes throwing daggers of fire into my own. "Lupin, I _hope_ they weren't bothering you."

"Oh, no, I was just showing them my grindylow," Lupin said pleasantly.

"Fascinating," he said without a trace of interest. "You should drink that directly, Lupin. I've got an entire cauldronful if you need more."

"I should probably take some tomorrow as well. Thank you."

"Sanderson, don't be fraternizing with _Gryffindors_ ," he spat. "Come along now, Slytherin is waiting." He smiled nastily and beckoned me to follow him.

I didn't want to, but I also didn't want another detention, so I followed him back to the Slytherin common room in disgust.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I was wearing my badger dress, of course. I'd put a charm on it to make it ever-fitting, no matter how much I grew.

Kat and Rebecca had spent the whole day giving me a makeover. Honestly, Renee and Silena were better at them, but it was a nice sentiment, and I could feel all eyes on me as I descended the staircase that night for the Halloween feast.

The third year Hufflepuffs had bought me a candy assortment again, and I was really happy. Ginny had turned up halfway through the makeover session to give me a little bracelet she had made herself. It was really beautiful, in with red, gold, and black beads to symbolize our friendship. It had a snake with it's eyes wide open, to remind me, she said, of what we would never let ourselves get involved in ever again. I only hoped it really would serve as that reminder. Voldemort was very powerful.

I felt bad for Renee, because I hadn't seen her all day, which meant that she was probably laboring over the absolutely perfect gift for me.

Honestly, though, she didn't need to. She'd saved my life at least twice in the last few months, and there was no way I could ever repay that. I wished she wouldn't go to so far lengths just to make me happier, because the best gift I could possibly want was her as a best friend.

When I reached the Great Hall, she was huddled in conversation with Sandra. The blonde girl appeared to be comforting her.

I went over to see what was wrong, but before Renee saw me, I heard, "She's going to hate me, Sandra! I can't believe I couldn't think of anything to do for her! It's not every day you become a teenager!"

Sandra glanced up and saw me standing a few feet away. She looked to me for help. Renee didn't notice anything.

I couldn't believe this. And I would put a stop to it, too.

"Renee, you actually think I need a present? You're the best present I could ever want! You're my best friend!"

Renee looked up, and then sobbed into her hands. "Let me count the reasons I don't need a present from you," I continued loudly. I wanted _everyone_ to hear why I was best friends with Renee Andromeda Sanderson, and why _nothing_ could take that away.

"ONE, you always talked me into making the right choice, even when we were younger. TWO, you mistrusted that diary so much that you tried to throw it away, and I never believed you until, THREE, you had to come save me from the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets! Then FOUR was stopping the sirens when there was even the _slightest_ chance I was still alive after the shipwreck!" I realized I may have been getting into dangerous territory, but this was more important. We could always use the Mist to make everyone else forget what I said. "FIVE, you were there every step of the way when I overexerted my energy! And SIX, you've _always_ believed in me, and always pushed me to really try my hardest, even when _I_ truly believed I was out of options! So the next time you need to get anyone a special present, it had better be yourself!"

There was shocked silence, and then the whole Great Hall, except for half the Slytherin table and Snape, broke into applause. I looked around, and Sprout and McGonagall were beaming. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling, and I could see tears forming in Hagrid's. The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables were cheering, and I even saw Draco Malfoy put his hands together once or twice.

Sandra moved over to make room for me next to Renee at the Slytherin table, and I gratefully accepted. At that moment, I didn't even _care_ about Kaylee's gang. I just wanted to have my best friend by my side.

Once everyone had quieted down, Dumbledore rose. "That was a beautiful display of affection! A true Hufflepuff! Loyalty and friendship is highly valued! Ten points to Hufflepuff!"

After that, we dug in, and I guess even Ariana and Morgana weren't stupid enough to bother me. The feast was better than ever before, and Ginny and Renee were coming to spend the night in the Hufflepuff room tonight.

As the feast ended, I walked back with Kat and Rebecca. Lucy, Callie, and Emma, the three other Hufflepuff second year girls, were all chattering excitedly about my proclamation. Harris and Joel Aconna, Rebecca's brothers, even came up and congratulated me. I had never spoken to them before, but I learned that they were both fourth years, and that Harris was a Ravenclaw while Joel was a Gryffindor.

Suddenly, Cedric Diggory and Kendra Andreas, the two sixth year prefects, appeared. They looked worried and were followed shortly by Professor Sprout.

"You are to follow us," Sprout announced. "Two lines, girls behind Kendra and boys behind Cedric. There has been a situation in the castle. You will be sleeping in the Great Hall tonight."

Monica Lewis and Davis Yates, the fifth year prefects, stepped out from the crowd. "What can we do, Professor?" Monica asked.

"Ah, Monica, Davis, it is good to see you are willing to do your duty as prefects. Can you help out with getting everyone's things they need from the common room? Those of you who don't need anything, girls to Kendra and boys to Cedric. Those of you who do, girls to Monica and boys to Davis.

I joined the group of people who needed to get something from the common room; I couldn't sleep in the badger dress. Kat and Rebecca went on ahead, but Lucy and Emma also needed things, so I wasn't the only second year girl going up.

There were murmurs and whispers about what could be going on.

"This has to do with Black."

"No, some seventh year probably got drunk or something and destroyed the whole castle."

"Maybe Hagrid let another one of his beasts in."

The rumors were getting wilder by the minute. I hurried up to grab an old Camp Half Blood tee and a pair of sweats. I also took my bag and threw one of my dad's old tshirts and another pair of sweats in for anyone who might need it. It was the Beatles, of course. At least it was a British band, though, that would fit in better if one of my friends had to use it.

We hurried out of the dorms and followed Monica to the Great Hall.

As soon as everyone was there, Dumbledore spoke. "For all of you who do not yet know, Sirius Black has broken into the castle. He attacked the portrait of Lydia Smith, or as you call her, the Fat Lady, and tried to break into Gryffindor tower. You will all be staying here for your protection tonight. The professors and I will search the castle. The prefects will stand guard over the corridors from the hall, and the Head Boy and Girl will keep order here."

Percy puffed out his chest importantly, and I had to keep from laughing. Dumbledore started to leave, and then said, "Oh, and you'll be needing these." He waved his wand and all the house tables flew to the back of the wall. Another wave, and there was a pile of purple sleeping bags in the hall.

Each house went to one corner, but Renee and I followed the Gryffindors. We were hoping to have a chance to talk to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

"What happened?" I whispered to Hermione.

"There was just a blockage after dinner tonight, and then Percy Weasley came over and then Peeves told us that it was Black. I'm still in my dinner things, I couldn't even change into something more comfortable! Ginny's lucky, she was just wearing a tee, but I was still in, well, this." She gestured to her jeans.

"You're in luck, I grabbed an extra t-shirt for just this purpose. We can shield you from the boys while you change, if you want."

"Clara, you're the best." I rose to help her change, and Ginny and Renee did the same. We formed a circle around Hermione as she changed. Then, when she was done, we could finally talk.

"Quiet!" Percy snapped. "Lights out in ten minutes!"

"Could Black still be in the castle?" I whispered.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he could be," Ron told us. "I'm hungry."

Ginny smacked him, and I laughed.

Percy came over to us and gave Renee a disapproving look. "Go back to your house, Sanderson."

"Make me." I glared at Renee. Why was she so indifferent to authority?

"Detention, Sanderson. I would be more careful if I were you, after letting a known enemy into the castle."

" _Excuse_ me?" Now it was my turn to disrespect authority. "Why would Renee do something like that? She saved my life, like, six times! She saved your _sister_! Last year, she defeated Slytherin's heir! She even got the option to be a Gryffindor, Percy Weasley!"

"She's in league with Black!" Percy yelled back.

"Who even made you Head Boy anyway?" Renee snapped. "You should be _promoting_ inter house friendship, not _destroying_ it!"

"Detention! Go to bed. We'll discuss your detention in the morning. This might even call for expulsion, when Dumbledore hears this!"

"Percy!" It was Stacy, and I had never been more happy to see her. "What are you doing?"

"She let Black into the castle! I know it!"

"Calm _down_ , Percy!" Stacy huffed. "Where's Olivia Radner? Doing her job as Head Girl like she's _supposed_ to? Patrolling the corridors? Definitely not harassing innocent second years, Weasley! I'll be speaking to Dumbledore about this tomorrow!

"Renee, you can stay here if you want," she said in a softer voice, and I wondered if some of Renee's charmspeak was rubbing off on her.

Stacy stormed off in the opposite direction, and Percy glowered at us. "That girl," he muttered. "She thinks she can micromanage everything."

Ginny and I laughed as he huffed away, but Renee still looked shocked. "Clara, what if it really _is_ my fault?"

I comforted her a bit, and soon we were both asleep next to each other, the way it had been on the hippocampi.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

I woke up to find Harry looking at me. When he saw I was awake, he slowly lifted his watch. Close to three in the morning. He put a finger to his lips as Dumbledore entered the Great Hall.

"All well here?" He asked Percy and a tall Ravenclaw girl I could only assume was Olivia Radner.

"Everything under control, sir," Percy said pompously. "Any sign of him?"

"No. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor tower door, though. You can move your students back in the morning, no point doing it now."

He glanced around the room, and I pretended to be sleeping.

"And the Fat Lady, sir?" I heard Percy whisper.

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently, she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."

The door slid open with a creak. "Headmaster?" The voice sounded like Snape's. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The owlery?"

"All searched…."

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

"Many, Severus, each as unlikely as the next."

I opened my eyes just a fraction and saw Percy patrolling haughtily and listening in, Olivia rolling her eyes, and Snape's angry profile. Dumbledore's back was to me.

"You remember the conversation, we had, Headmaster, before the-ah-start of term?" Snape's lips barely moved as he spoke.

"I do, Severus," Dumbledore said, with something close to warning in his voice.

"It seems-almost impossible-that Black could have entered without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed-"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle, student or staff, would have helped Black get into it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the conversation was closed that even Snape didn't dare reply. "Now, I must go and consult with the Dementors. I said I would inform them when our search was over."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" Percy asked from somewhere behind me.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I am afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster."

Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore briskly left the hall, and Snape looked around, and then followed. Once I was sure Percy and Olivia had moved on, I glanced over at Clara. She was staring at me, wide-eyed. Hermione glanced at me and shrugged, and I held Princess close to stop her from getting to Ron and Scabbers. I'd only realize later that I hadn't brought her down with me.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Once again, sorry for the long wait. I really did mean to finish this up before camp, but real life can be tough.**_

 _ **Anyway, I'm back now, but I start school on August 15th, so I don't know how many more chapters you'll get before then.**_

 _ **For**_ _ **Slytherin's-one-and-only**_ _**and**_ _ **chocolate-writing-perfection**_ _**any suggestions as to how I can make my Slytherin characters on the light side more...Slytherin? I'm really struggling with Renee and Stacy especially, and also Gill, Sandra, and Tomasz. Any ideas?**_

 _ **Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	42. Friends, Lovers, and an Ultimatum

**Renee POV**

I wasn't exactly happy with the way things were going these days. Half the student body was convinced I was letting Black in, while most of the staff believed I needed protection and found excuses to walk with me in the halls. Harry was getting the same treatment, except that everyone knew he was scared of Black, so some of his supporters had the bright idea of trying to pit us against each other.

Colin Creevy would block his path whenever we saw each other in the hallways, to make sure I couldn't see him. I heard him tell his friend it was "so that she won't have more to tell Black."

Lavender was also enjoying another reason to be a bitch to me. She would often come across me in the halls or in class and then whisper to her friends about Black. "Oooh, don't look, she'll tell all your secrets to the enemy!"

Parvati tried to stop her, but Harry and I honestly thought it was funny. At least until Rachel, Dean, and Seamus stepped in.

Before they tried to do anything, nobody was acting personal toward me, and I was sure it would wear off eventually. But apparently not. One day when I was hanging out in the library with Harry, trying to learn more about Quidditch for our upcoming match, Dean and Seamus came up to us. Dean, who was taller than Ron, held me roughly by the arms while Seamus dragged me away. Rachel stepped out from behind a bookshelf, and Harry took out his wand. Even if Rachel _was_ only a second-year like me, she could be scary.

"I know how she's doing it," Rachel hissed to Harry as the boys dragged me away. "Expelliarmus!"

Harry was caught off guard. I had no idea what Seamus and Dean would do to me, but I had to get away. I didn't want to use my sword, though. Dean and Seamus were generally good people.

Luckily, Luna appeared then. "Oh hello Renee," she said. "Releashio." She pointed her wand at the boys, and their grip loosened. They looked confused.

Luna helped me to my feet, and then turned to them. "That wasn't very nice."

"We were just trying to protect Harry, and this school," Seamus said, not backing down. I decided it was time to summon my sword, even if I had been hesitant at first. I thought about it and hoped it would come.

"So that's how you helped him, then." It was Rachel, Harry at her heels. "You used a weapon."

I stood my ground, ready to slap her, but Professor McGonagall walked past, and my sword shriveled up into a quill pen. Exemplary, considering it wasn't even a regular _pen_ , but something that would fit in perfectly in the Hogwarts library. I smirked, and Rachel backed off.

"What's going on here?" McGonagall demanded.

"They attacked her, Professor!" Harry yelled angrily.

"She let Black in!" Rachel protested.

"I'm sorry you think that, Miss Samson. You three, come with me," she said, pointing at Harry, Luna, and me. "You three, back to your dormitories. I will see you in Gryffindor shortly."

We followed McGonagall to her office. The last time she had said, "you three, come with me," it had been when Clara, Harry, and I were accused of being the Heirs of Slytherin, so I was understandably nervous.

"Miss Lovegood, as you are the third party here, please explain what happened."

"I was just walking by the library when I saw, um I think her name is Bibbons or Winder or-"

"Samson," McGonagall said, trying not to laugh or show annoyance, I wasn't sure which. Maybe both.

"Yes, that's it. Samson, she was holding Renee strangely, and I thought there may have been a fight. So I tried to help Renee, because she has been a good friend to me. You know, she sits by me in Herbology when nobody else does, and she protects me from the other mean kids in the class…." Luna smiled wistfully.

McGonagall nodded encouragingly, rolling her eyes slightly. "Yes?" She prompted.

"So I helped release Renee and then you came. I think it was because Samson thought Renee had a wrackspurt, but she clearly didn't, anyone could see…."

Harry and I exchanged a glance, but Luna didn't notice. McGonagall smiled. "Thank you, Miss Lovegood. You may go."

Luna grinned. "Don't let the Nargles get you down," she said brightly as she pulled open the door and gave a small wave.

Harry waited until he was sure the blonde girl was out of earshot. "Is she always like that?"

"Pretty much."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "Lovegood's story was not as complete as it could have been, of course. What happened before?"

"Renee and I were studying Quidditch tactics together in the library-" Harry stopped at McGonagall's stern look. "Professor?"

"If you believe that studying with a member of the Slytherin Quidditch team will get you anything, then go right ahead. But that is another thing in itself. Potter, Sanderson, this will come as a real shock, but Sirius Black-

"He's after us. Or at least, we know he's after Harry for sure."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "We overheard Ron's dad telling his mum," Harry said quickly. "But what's this got to do with Quidditch?"

McGonagall pursed her lips. "Potter, I don't think it is a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings, not with him so close. I also believe there may be something linking Black with Sanderson-"

"I'm _not_ working with him!" I yelled angrily.

"And that's not what I meant. Dumbledore has reason to believe that Black may be after you as well. Professor Snape did not wish for me to tell you this, because he thinks it could endanger his own house, but you deserve to know.

"That said, I hope you understand the reasons it would be too dangerous for the two of you to practice in the evenings."

"But our match is a week from today!" Harry and I protested before realizing that we were playing against each other. "Hey!"

McGonagall gave a tight smile. "We have to beat Slytherin, Professor."

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Renee, but Wood wants us to win the quidditch cup this year."

"Well neither of us will be winning the cup if we're not allowed to practice!" I looked longingly at McGonagall.

"Oh, alright, fine. Sanderson, Potter, I'll have Madam Hooch oversee your training."

"Great," I muttered, "the Slytherin team already hates me enough for being friends with _you_ , Potter."

"Excuse me? You _wanted_ to be friends with me." He playfully tried to hit me, but I ducked.

"I think we are quite finished here," McGonagall said sternly, but I could swear she was smiling slightly. And yes, aside from Clara, Harry really _was_ my best friend.

Outside of the office, Gill was waiting to walk me to Quidditch practice. He nodded at Harry and put his arm around me.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Ran into that weird chick from Herbology, what was her name, Lena?"

"Luna."

"Yeah, she told me everything before running off to go find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"You're great, Gill." I laughed at his accurate description of Luna.

We reached the Quidditch pitch. The rest of the team-all boys-didn't seem to be waiting for me. Draco's arm was still in a sling, and I felt a mix of guilt and anger.

Gill looked at me. "Do you want me to stay?"

"Please don't."

"That's what I thought you'd say. But Renee, know that I've wanted to do this since you came out of the hospital wing the first time last year."

He leaned in, and I could smell his citrusy cologne. I felt his smooth hand slip into mine, and he looked me in the eyes. "Only if you want to."

"I want to."

I leaned in and our lips touched. I hoped my lipstick wouldn't leave a stain. He smelled like oranges, and I loved that.

* * *

As I stepped onto the Quidditch pitch to meet my team, I tried to hide what had just happened.

"The traitor's here at last," Marcus Flint muttered. Flint was a tall sixteen year old with stony gray eyes.

"I'm _not_ a traitor, Flint."

The rest of the team laughed, but Draco stepped back. He rubbed his cast a bit for show.

"Well, now that all team members are here, even if one is _late_ , we have important matters to discuss."

"We have a decision to make," Randy Gilmore, our Keeper and oldest player, said menacingly.

"A decision, Gilmore? We're substituting the Hufflepuffs next week, there's no other option," Flint admonished. "There's no way we could-"

"Yes, Marcus, there is," Draco piped up. "You know Kaylee's been practicing for Keeper, and Sanderson could make an okay Seeker. You heard what happened last year, Snape said she was….good."

"First of all, what are we talking about?"

Everyone but Draco glared at me. "Traitor," Gilmore mumbled.

"I don't think I can play, my arm hurts too much, I can't catch Snitch this way!" Draco whined, adjusting his sling. "But there's one condition on you playing Seeker, Sanderson. You'll need to join us in convincing the Ministry that Pearlhoof and Buckbeak are wild beasts, and that Hagrid is the one responsible. And, you won't tell Potter."

The Slytherin team grinned maliciously. I'd always wanted to play Seeker, but this was the worst choice I had ever had to make. I didn't _want_ to do that to Hagrid, especially since I had cleared his name just last year.

"Do you want Slytherin to win the cup? Because if so, bring it, but I can't make any promises. I'm going to do this the Slytherin way."

I would be sly about who I talked to. I might look like I was helping this cause, but I'd never betray my friends. Pearlhoof was _my_ Hippogriff, and I would do everything I could to save her from Draco Malfoy. I had just kissed Gill, and I never thought I'd say this, but there was something admirable about Draco's persistence.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So I hoped you liked this chapter. Was it clear I had no idea where it was going? At first, I thought I'd make this the Quidditch chapter with the dementors, but I kind of liked this as a short break from much canon.**_

 _ **A lot of you have been asking me about a Harry/Renee ship. I'm really sorry to say, that's not in the plans. I love Harry/Ginny too much to break them up, and I have some exciting plans for Renee. I won't say any more than that, but as the daughter of Aphrodite she'll go through her fair share of heartbreaks.**_

 _ **Did you like what I did with Renee and Gill in this chapter? I want to make this the official start of their relationship. Still having some trouble giving them completely Slytherin personalities, though.**_

 _ **Sorry there was no Clara in this chapter, again, it is safe to say I had no idea what I was doing, just putting words on paper and deciding if they sounded right. I hope you like it, please review.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	43. Secrets, Dementors, and More Secrets

**Clara POV**

Classes were going well, but Renee was worked up about Quidditch. It didn't take me a lot of time to work out what had happened between Renee and the Gryffindors. Ginny wasn't speaking to Rachel and spent most of her time with us, which made things slightly awkward as we couldn't talk freely.

It took a bit more time to figure out that Renee and Gill were together. She wasn't really acting much differently, but Tomasz had told Sandra, and Sandra had told everyone else. That girl had a big mouth.

I hung out with Hermione when I wasn't with Renee. That was how I ended up on the day before the Quidditch match, with Hermione as we entered Lupin's class. I didn't know why it was easier for me to interact with her, but we had been studying in the library during free periods.

I took my usual spot next to Renee, who felt uncomfortable in the class, being the only Slytherin. Hermione and Ron sat at the desk behind us, a three-seater.

But it wasn't Professor Lupin who stormed in. It was Snape.

"Take your seats and be quiet," he snarled, although everyone was sitting, and nobody was talking.

He began the roll call, and between Blake, Philippa and Brown, Lavender; he should have said my name, of course. But he passed me on, and I figured it was just a mistake. "Brown, Lavender?"

"Here."

"Bunter, Avery?" Snape's black eyes darted around the room, as if daring me to say something, but I held my tongue. I knew he didn't like me being in the class, but that was low.

When he reached, "Potter," there was silence, and Ron and Hermione glanced at each other worriedly.

"Late. As to be expected," he muttered. Ron gasped.

He skipped over Renee's name, too, and then looked at us, as if for the first time. "What are you doing here, Sanderson and Bailey?"

Great. Snape wouldn't even bother to get my name right.

Before we could stop her, Renee stood up. "Professor, her name is Bradley. And you _know_ we're in this class."

"Her name's Bradley, Professor," Snape mimicked. "I will not tolerate a Slytherin who consorts with Gryffindors and defends Hufflepuffs, Sanderson." He paused for effect. "You will be the end of Hogwarts, the undoing of Slytherin house."

Even Dean, Seamus, and Lavender, who had been tormenting Renee previously, glared at Snape.

The door creaked open then. "Sorry, Professor Lupin, I-" Harry's face fell when he saw the head of Slytherin.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."

Harry remained by the door. "Where's Professor Lupin?"

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today. I thought I told you to sit down, Potter."

"What's wrong with him?" Harry demanded, and even Renee was starting to look concerned for Harry.

"Nothing life threatening. Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again it will be fifty."

"Professor, that's not fair!" Renee stood up, seemingly without thinking. "He had a simple question! And _you're_ antagonizing him!"

"I hate to do this, Sanderson, but as you know I value my own house, your snide remarks are costing your friends points." He grinned evilly. "Five points from Gryffindor, and the next time anyone gets out of their seat it will be a hundred. So sit down!"

Harry and Renee exchanged a glance, deciding whether to do anything, but Hermione seemed to kick Harry under the table, and I elbowed Renee. If they wanted to pursue it, they could do it on their own time.

"Now," Snape said once everyone had settled down enough. "As Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you've covered so far-"

It was Hermione's turn to speak out of line. "Please sir," she said, her hand bobbing in the air, "we've covered boggarts, kappas, Red Caps, and grindylows. We were about to start-"

"Be quiet," Snape snapped at her. "I was not asking for information, I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization.

Dean Thomas spoke up from the back. "He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever known, Professor!" There was a murmur of agreement, and Dean caught Renee's eye in something like apology. She quickly looked away.

"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you-I should expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows. Today we shall discuss-"

He flipped to the back of the book, to a page he must know we hadn't covered, and said, "werewolves." I noticed Hermione, who seemed to be trying to work something out. It wasn't even her "Snape is being unfair" look, it was….something else, and I couldn't place it.

"But sir," Hermione said, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks-"

"Miss Granger," Snape said, his voice deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I was teaching this class, not you. And I am telling you to turn to page 394." He glanced around at the class; none of us moved. "All of you!" He screamed. "Now!"

There was a lot of muttering and glances between friends as we opened the books. Hermione seemed to be deep in thought, and Renee looked like she was about to get up again. I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Now," Snape said once everyone had turned to the correct page," who can tell me the difference between the werewolf and the true wolf?"

Renee and I were the only ones to raise our hands, aside from Hermione of course. We had learned this in training, werewolves were something to be feared at Camp Half Blood.

"Anyone?" Snape asked, ignoring us as usual. "Are you telling me Professor Lupin has not even taught you the basic distinction between-"

Hermione and I made eye contact, and I suddenly thought I knew what she was trying to say. I raised my eyebrows, but Parvati spoke up. "Professor, we told you, we haven't gotten as far as werewolves yet, we're only on-"

" _Silence_!" He paused menacingly. "Well, well, well. I never met a third year class who couldn't recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I'll make it a point to tell Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are."

"Please, sir," Hermione said quietly. "The werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"

"That is the second time you've spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," Snape said coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Hermione put her face in her hands. The rest of us were glaring at Snape with an intensity I had never seen before, not even from Renee. I couldn't keep it in anymore.

"You asked a question and she knows the answer!" I raged. "Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

Nobody had expected that from me, but even Renee knew I'd gone too far. "Detention, Bradley," Snape said menacingly, forgetting that he was "forgetting" my name. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class, you will be very sorry indeed."

Ron was comforting Hermione, who was still trying to hide her tears. Harry and Renee exchanged a glance, and I bent down over my book. Nobody said a word for the rest of class, except for Snape, who would look at our papers and mutter about how pathetic we were.

The bell couldn't come soon enough, but Snape held us back when it rang.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways to recognize and kill a werewolf. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them on my desk by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Bradley, stay behind, we need to discuss your detention.

The rest of the class filed out. Renee looked concerned, but I motioned for her to go on with Harry.

"Bradley," Snape muttered. "You will organize my potions supplies, alphabetically and by color, without magic. It is a very _dangerous_ job, and you might get poisoned if you're not careful." He grinned evilly. "You will do this next Friday, one week from today."

I nodded glumly. "Yes, sir."

I left the room, Snape glowering at my back.

Renee was waiting outside the door with Hermione. Harry and Ron were nowhere in sight.

"Where are Harry and Ron?"

"Ron was hungry," Hermione said, a hint of laughter in her eyes. "What's Snape making you do?"

"He's making me sort out all his potions supplies. Without magic, and presumably without gloves."

Renee's face went from concerned to angry in a split second. "When?"

"Next Friday."

"I'll talk to Mom, she should be able to give you gloves."

"Yeah, silky ones with lace," I groaned. "Not _protective_. I'll need to ask…." I trailed off as I glanced at Hermione. She might've known our secret, but she wouldn't know Sprout's, and I didn't want to be the one to upset my head of house. "I'll need to ask Clarisse."

Renee gave me a curt nod. I knew she'd congratulate me on my save later, but I had bigger things to worry about.

Kaylee came up to us, and I quickly pulled out my wand. Renee put her hand on my shoulder. "She wants me to practice Quidditch, that's all. She's really excited for the Slytherin team to win, she's even put aside our….differences to cheer me on for the Slytherin team," Renee explained, but there was something unfamiliar in her eyes. "Meet me at dinner?"

I nodded. "Good luck practicing. I guess I can say that, since Harry isn't here." I smiled, and Renee giggled.

We had an hour before dinner. "Clara, come with me for a sec," Hermione said as she started walking quickly to an empty classroom.

I followed. I thought I knew what this was going to be about, and it was a conversation I really didn't want to think about it. I loved Lupin, he was much better than Lockhart, and I didn't want to think anything bad about him.

"So you've figured it out too?" She demanded.

"You really think he's a….a….a _werewolf_?"

"I do. I mean, think about it. He's always a little off color after the full moon. And Snape hates him-"

"He just wants the Defense job-"

"It's not the other times, the other teachers, he _really_ wants to expose him."

"Snape's after that job, he'd do anything to get it," I argued. "He's probably just starting a rumor for the sake of it."

"I have other evidence," Hermione pressed. "When we worked with the boggarts, he stepped in front of Harry at the end. It was because he didn't want You-Know-Who to appear in the classroom, but we didn't know that then. Anyway, when he did that, his boggart was a silvery orb-"

"The moon," I said, now shocked and terrified. "Hermione, at Camp Half Blood, we're trained to hate werewolves, to fear Lycanthropy, and to know how kill them. And to know that I know one, personally, and he's a perfectly nice _guy_ …."

"I understand, Clara. I've always loved Greek mythology, and I know all about werewolves in the culture. My advice would be to ignore it, and definitely _not_ to tell Renee. You know how she can be. I mean, I don't know, I could be wrong."

"I really hope you are," I whispered, but I knew in my heart she probably wasn't. I also knew Lupin probably wasn't like the werewolves they warned us about. I shivered slightly and went to get ready for dinner.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

I woke up to a stabbing pain. "Kaylee, go away!" I snapped. The girl was poking me with her wand. While she "had" to play Quidditch with us, Draco was making her treat me civilly. I thought there must have been some magic or a bribe, probably both. I wondered if Draco was going to give her his house elf or something, because I could think of nothing that would make Kaylee Parkinson treat me nicely. Also, Morgana and Ariana hadn't stopped bothering me whenever they got the chance. It was amazing how differently they treated me here versus at home. Here, they wouldn't kill me, they just hated me. But at home, they were working with Luke. It surprised me, and I knew that when this first demigod battle was over, they would be on Voldemort's side. But strangely, here and now, they were able to control themselves.

I grumbled and rolled out of bed. I still couldn't believe I had agreed to this. I had to pretend to hate Hagrid for the team, and I had a feeling I wasn't getting out of that so easily. I also had to train _Kaylee_ as she was the Keeper for this game. I wished it could have been literally anyone else.

Within a few minutes I was dressed and ready. Kaylee had my broom in her hand. She tossed it to me.

"You're kidding, right?"

"What?" She smiled innocently.

"That's _your_ Nimbus 2000. Not _my_ 2001."

"Oops. I forgot to tell you, you're letting me use it today."

"No," I said through gritted teeth. "I'm not."

"Oh. Then I guess you don't mind if I…." she pulled out her wand. "Reducto!"

Sandra woke up just then. She looked around the room, and grabbed the broom just before it could break. She looked grim.

"I _told_ you this was a bad idea," she grumbled. "Renee, what were you _thinking_?"

"Oh shut up," I said, but I was glad she had come to my rescue. "Kaylee, my broom. Now."

"Fine," the dark-haired girl groaned. "Take it!"

Sandra stifled a laugh. "You're practicing _this_ early?"

"Have you seen what it's like out there?" Kaylee snapped. "If we want to beat Potter and his losing team of losers, we have to be ahead of the weather. Stupefy!"

"Kaylee!" I yelled, turning my wand on her. She had just surprise-attacked my best Slytherin friend, and she would pay.

I wished Clara was there, I didn't know the counter spell. The only thing I could do, though, was drag her to the Stacy's dormitory, because I couldn't trust Ariana and Morgana if I left her in our own room.

"Go on down unless you want me to push you out of here," I said venomously. "I'm going to bring her to her sister. And don't touch my broom or the whole deal's off and I will _let_ Potter find that Snitch."

"That's not even fair!" Kaylee whined. "I'm on your team!"

I didn't think twice. I pulled out my sword and jabbed at Kaylee's arm. "Leave me, my friends, and my broom _alone_!"

She seemed to get the message. She ran from the room, her broom in her hand, and I scooped up Sandra's unconscious body. I held my friend as best I could and pounded on the nearest door, thinking it was the sixth year dorms.

I was wrong. Third years.

I was getting ready to run when I realized the girl who had answered the door was someone who I'd never seen before.

"What's going on?" She asked groggily. "It's four in the morning. Is that you, Renee Sanderson?" The girl blinked and rubbed her eyes.

I wasn't surprised that she knew my name. I nodded. "Please. I thought this was Stacy's room, but I guess I was wrong-"

"Stacy? The Prefect?"

"Yeah, Kay-someone hurt her sister in our dorm. Used this spell, 'Stupefy' I think. I was wondering if you could help."

To my surprise, the girl actually looked concerned. "Hold on. I don't know the reverse spell, but I think Tracey might. I'll go wake her up. Do you need to get to practice?"

"No….no. I'm good." I wasn't going to leave Sandra in the room where Kaylee's sister slept.

The girl shook another girl awake, and I was relieved to see that it wasn't Millicent, or worse, Pansy.

"What's up?" The girl had platinum blonde hair and pale skin, whereas the girl who had first answered the door looked more like me. "I'm Tracey by the way, Tracey Davis, and that's Daphne Greengrass. Did Daphne say someone's been Stupefied?"

"Yeah, Stacy's sister, Sandra."

"Who did this?"

I was slightly hesitant to say. "Kaylee Parkinson."

There was a gasp from behind Tracey, Daphne was back. "That girl! Both of them, actually, they're worse than Draco Malfoy."

"You make it sound like _they're_ the worst, but Millicent and Pansy together? We've had to fight them to keep them off of your sister, remember that?"

Tracey and Daphne chuckled. "Um, the counter spell?" I prompted.

"Right." Tracey remembered why she was awake. " _Rennervate_!"

Sandra blinked. "Where am I?"

"Kaylee stunned you," Daphne told her. "Renee, don't keep Kaylee waiting. We'll help you deal with her later, after the match is over. Trust me, we hate her too. We'll wait with your friend."

I flashed the girls a grateful, relieved smile. It was nice to know that there were other Slytherins who were nice, and who would help me get revenge on someone like Kaylee. "Thank you so much," I told them.

I grabbed my broom and ran out to the Quidditch pitch. Thunder shook the ground, and I could hardly see due to the dark and the rain, but I was ready to practice hard and play harder.

* * *

Yeah, I thought as I was twenty feet in the air, I shouldn't have done this.

The rain was coming down in sheets, icy blasts. I didn't know what to do or where to look. I wished McGonagall would call off the match.

Wood and Flint shook hands, the Quaffle was released, and I took off. I couldn't actually see, mind, but I followed the glint of red that I saw, every time hoping that it was Harry. I raced down, up, back down again, but I had no idea of the score.

With the first flash of lightning, I heard Madam Hooch's whistle. I could barely see Flint beckoning me over through the icy, gray rain, but I flew down to him.

"Wood called for time out, so I thought it was time for a pep talk. Kaylee, you're playing well, but Gryffindor has a fifty point lead." He turned to me. "Sanderson, you fly like a baboon on a balloon. I'm not sure why I agreed to Draco's stupid idea to let you be Seeker, but if we don't catch that Snitch, you're off the team for good."

I groaned, but didn't have time to protest as Madam Hooch blew her whistle again. The Snitch hadn't even been spotted yet, by me _or_ Harry, whereas Kaylee was letting all the goals in. It wasn't _my_ fault. I seethed, refusing to conform to Flint's demands. If I had to, I would _let_ Harry catch that Snitch. Although I did know that Slytherin had never won a game against Harry, so winning would be satisfying.

I flew aimlessly for about ten minutes. With every clap of thunder, with every crack of lightning, this game was getting more and more dangerous. Either Harry or I needed to find the Snitch soon, or we'd endanger ourselves and everyone watching.

There was another flash of lightning, and I could see for a moment. Harry was right next to me, close enough to touch, and he was staring at the stands. No, right _below_ the stands. And then I saw what he saw.

It was an enormous black dog, standing on the ground. Dogs weren't allowed at Hogwarts, but this one looked strangely familiar.

I blinked and shook wet hair from my eyes. The dog was gone, and all I could see was the yellow-gold hair of my best friend, who was once again braving the Slytherins to sit with me. I'd forgotten that her hair glowed in the dark.

Seeing her, sitting there next to her brother, who didn't even know she was related to him, sitting next to Sandra and Gill and Tomasz, next to Stacy and Daphne and Tracey, gave me a surge of hope. I glanced around again. Harry was plummeting down, and I thought he had seen the Snitch. I started to follow, but something gold flickered in front of my face.

That was odd. I reached out for the Snitch, but if Harry hadn't seen it, then what had made him fall to the ground so fast?

As I clasped the little golden ball, I made the mistake of looking down.

Dementors. At least a hundred of them.

And then that voice, that male voice.

" _Belle Sanderson, take care of her! Find her a good home! Send her to Hogwarts when she is ready!"_

 _My mother just sat there and smiled. What was she doing? She needed to save the man!_

 _The man sobbed. "Renee, Renee! My beautiful daughter. You'll never know me, but I hope you are proud when you know what I've done!"_

* * *

"Lucky the ground was so soft."

"I thought they weren't going to make it!"

"He didn't even break his glasses!"

"Her bracelet is still fully intact!"

"If she had died, it would be all my fault."

That one made me sit up. "Oww," I murmured. It was too much pain. Where was I? And why was Draco Malfoy, of all people, worried about _me_?

Clara and Sandra rushed over to me. "She's awake!" Clara gasped.

"Don't scare me like that!" Sandra exclaimed.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"Hospital wing." It was Gill. "How are you feeling?"

I slowly took in everything around me. The Gryffindor team was standing around a bed that could only have been Harry's, and I had quite a few visitors as well.

I could easily see Gill, Tomasz, Stacy, and Tracey a slight bit behind Clara and Sandra. There were three more blurry figures in the doorway. One looked like Daphne Greengrass, and one looked like a younger version of her. And the third one was Draco Malfoy.

I tried to take in everything, but it was all too impossible. Why had Draco come to see me? Why wasn't the Slytherin team here? And why was _I_ here?

"What happened?" I whispered.

"You fell," Tomasz told me. "Must've been, what…." he turned to the others.

"Fifty feet, I think," Stacy supplied. "It was the Dementors."

I heard groaning from the other bed. "What happened?" Harry asked groggily.

Fred explained what happened to him, and Harry frowned. "But what about the match? Was it called off, or…."

That's when I remembered. "Harry," I said, lifting my head slightly so I could see him. "I'm really sorry. I caught the Snitch just before I saw you. I saw you fall to the ground, but I thought you were chasing after the Snitch, I couldn't see a thing. And then I saw the Dementors and I realized what had happened, but it was too late, and I was falling, and….I guess we won."

"Don't be sorry," Draco drawled from the back. "You won."

The Gryffindor team glared at him with intensity. Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet pulled out their wands.

"Back off, Malfoy," Harry said quietly.

"I'm here to see Sanderson, Potter," Malfoy snapped back. "So unless she tells me to go-"

"Why, Draco? You hate me."

"I hate Potter. I dislike you, but I can't _hate_ another snake. And besides, I felt bad. If you weren't playing Seeker, this wouldn't have happened."

"The Dementors would have come either way." I rolled my eyes, but I was grateful that he had come out and apologized. "But thanks."

"Still, if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw, and we beat them both, we can…." Fred had started discussing how the Gryffindor team could win, and I tuned out.

The girl who looked like a mini Daphne came up to me. "I'm Astoria," she told me. "Slytherin, first year. So far, I know that Kaylee and her sister are evil, and so are their friends. But I know Tracey and my sister are nice, too. And now I know that you four are too." She looked at me, Gill, Sandra, and Tomasz. "And Stacy, of course. Why else would they let you be a Prefect?"

Sandra and I exchanged a glance. Apparently, Daphne and Tracey had kept Astoria away from Warrington.

Draco looked out of place. "Pansy's not that bad," he said offhand. "It's her sister who can really do you harm."

I nodded absently.

"Thanks," Clara snapped. "But I think we knew that already."

Draco seemed to have forgotten that she was there. "No one asked your opinion, _badger_." He sneered.

"What's wrong with being a Hufflepuff? And what would you say if I was-" Clara stopped at my look of terror. I had suspected she was about to reveal her parentage, and I wouldn't let her, especially with all the other Slytherins listening.

"What if you were what?" Tracey demanded.

"What if I was, um….sorry, I lost my train of thought," she lied uncomfortably. Draco studied her, and I worried what this could mean.

Madam Pomfrey came over and told the team and everyone but Clara that it was time to leave. "Too many visitors, the players need rest," she said.

Gill came over and kissed me again. "Love you, Renee. Feel better."

Tomasz and Sandra giggled, while Clara and Draco rolled their eyes. Maybe they were more alike than I thought. I could definitely see Narcissa doing just the same thing.

Everyone but Ron, Hermione, and Clara left. The team trailed mud out, and Madam Pomfrey frowned.

Hermione found three chairs so that we could talk. Being best friends with both Harry and Clara had its advantages, I guess, because she always seemed to know when we needed to talk as a group.

"Dumbledore was really angry," Clara told us shakily.

Hermione nodded. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down a bit. Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot silvery stuff at them. They left the stadium right away. He was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him…."

"Then he magicked you two onto stretchers, and Professor Sprout came running down from the stands," Ron continued. "And they walked up to the castle with you floating on them. Everyone thought you were…." He trailed off.

"Did someone get my broom?" I asked, trying to think of something other than the Dementors and the man screaming my name.

"Um…." Hermione said.

"Hermione, please don't sugarcoat anything." Clara frowned, and Hermione nodded for her to go on. "Wren, Harry, they hit a tree. Well, not just any tree."

I knew what she was going to say before she said it. "The Whomping Willow."

Harry blinked. "I'm sorry," Clara told us. "Professor Flitwick brought back the pieces."

Hermione handed us each a paper bag. "Renee, here's yours. There might be a slight chance for it, but I don't think there's anything that can be done for Harry's. I'm really sorry."

I looked in the bag and realized that Hermione was probably wrong. There was nothing that could be done for the brooms.

* * *

 **Draco POV**

 _Dear Mother,_

 _Please let this letter be for your eyes only, DO NOT show it to Father. I'm sorry if I don't write enough, but please, I have a serious question. Today Clarissa Bradley, a Hufflepuff second year, said something that made me look at her and her friend Renee Sanderson, a Slytherin second year, a bit differently._

 _So this is a very important question, and I want you to answer it honestly. Have you ever loved a man other than Father? Is there any way you could be related to Bradley? Her hair shape is like yours, and her dimples almost remind me of your smile. But I know she looks nothing like Father, so it would have to be you. So is there any way at all that this could be possible?_

 _Please respond soon,_

 _Draco._

I walked up to the owlery to find the family owl, Ebony. I figured she would cause the least suspicion from my father, rather than using my own owl, Nightmask.

Luckily, Ebony was on her perch next to Nightmask and, for some reason, Clara's owl. I tied the letter to her leg and watched her fly off into the night, hoping I made the right choice to write to Mother about this.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, this was another chapter where I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I would have the Clara/Hermione moment about Lupin, and I knew that Renee would play Seeker and be affected by the Dementors as well, but everything else was pure spontaneity.**_

 _ **I didn't plan on having Kaylee attack Sandra in the dormitories, although when it happened, I thought it would be a good time to introduce Daphne and Astoria, as I wanted them to somehow be friends with Renee, because I've always seen them as some of the non-evil Slytherins (yes, I know Daphne later joins the Inquisitorial Squad, I'll deal with that then). And I definitely didn't plan on Draco finding out about Clara. I wanted to save that for the World Cup scene, but something about this chapter just felt like the right time to do it.**_

 _ **Speaking of Draco, how do you like what I'm making him into? He's going to play an important role later on.**_

 _ **I hope you liked it. Please review!**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	44. Promises Made, Promises Broken

_**A/N: I feel like this chapter is going to be pretty Renee-centric again. But I swear I'll have more Clara in the next chapters.**_

 _ **Almost to Titan's Curse! I hadn't realized how close I was getting but then I was reading Prisoner of Azkaban and I was like "holy cow it's Christmas already, which means time for Titan's Curse." I have some exciting plans for that.**_

 _ **That will all start after this chapter, and will of course feature more Clara. But for now, enjoy this Renee-centric chapter 44.**_

* * *

 **Renee POV**

Harry was treating me with polite deference throughout our weekend in the hospital wing, and I was worried he was still mad at me for winning.

I would whisper with Clara behind closed curtains about it. I really missed him, of course. Clara left me only at night, and Ron and Hermione only left Harry then as well.

We each had quite a few visitors, and although the Gryffindor Quidditch team returned often to talk to Harry, the Slytherin team never showed up. A few times, I saw Draco Malfoy walk past and stop at the door to the hospital wing, but he never came in.

Those who did come in included Gill, Sandra, and Tomasz; who wanted to cheer me up by the fact that _we won_. They didn't understand that that fact might have cost me one of my best friends.

Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey, also came in, but they weren't focusing on Slytherin's win. Instead, they brought chocolate and Exploding Snap. It was very thoughtful, especially considering I'd only met them that weekend. I was grateful that they didn't bring up the match, and that they let Clara sit with us and play Exploding Snap too.

Harry watched me from the side of the room, always looking when he thought Ron and Hermione wouldn't notice. I had no idea what he saw or was looking for, but I didn't like it.

Ginny had come to talk to Harry, but she also said hello to me. Along with her was an embarrassed Rachel, who apologized profusely for what she had done in the library. I had a strong feeling Ginny had something to do with that.

It was actually Ginny's visit that led Harry to talk to me again. She had given him a handmade card that sang shrilly unless he put it under a bowl. But at around two in the morning, he must have knocked the bowl over with his hand while sleeping.

I woke up first to the card, but Harry was up seconds later. He rounded on me.

"Why did you move the fruit bowl, Sanderson? Or should I say, _Black_."

"I didn't." I tried to stay calm. "But I can try to shut the card up if you'd like."

"Oh yeah, with your _black_ magic, right? I'm sure Sirius has taught you loads of spells, then, hasn't he?"

I snatched the card off his bedside table. "What's gotten into you? I thought you were my best friend, Potter!" I rubbed the card a bit. "Be quiet. Be nice to Harry," I soothed. "I know Ginny didn't mean for you to be annoying, but we need to get some sleep, okay?"

Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly. "Sorry. I guess the Dementors got to me, or, I don't know…."

"Harry….it's okay. Do you want to talk about it?"

He considered for a moment. "No." Then he blinked and shook his head. "Yes. You're the only one who would understand, seeing as you faint too. And you _are_ my best friend, Renee, aside from Ron and Hermione I mean."

"And you're mine, aside from Clara and maybe Thalia. What do you see, Harry? What do you hear as you faint from those dementors?"

I saw the fear in his eyes. "I see my mother….the night he came to my house. I hear my mother scream, 'not Harry,' and then V-You Know Who-"

"Just say it, Harry, I don't mind. _I_ say it, and I know you do too."

Harry looked relieved. "Voldemort, then. He tells her to stand aside, and she just screams, 'Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry….'"

Tears formed in his green eyes, and I got out of my bed to go and comfort him. "I see my father, or at least I think it's him. He was a wizard, but I don't know who he was. And he's being attacked, by zombies or something, and my mother's right there with me, and she does nothing. Nothing. Aphrodite, the immortal goddess of love, abandoned him as he died."

Harry was no longer the only one crying. He put his arm around me and we just sat there, shaking in each other's arms.

* * *

The next day was Monday, and we were released from the hospital wing in time for classes.

We found out in Care of Magical Creatures that despite his visiting me in the hospital wing, Draco Malfoy was back to his normal self. He relentlessly taunted Harry for the Dementor attack, but he left me well enough alone.

After lunch, we had Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Ron proclaimed that he wasn't going in if Snape was still teaching the class. "Poke your head in," I told Clara, and she and Hermione did.

They looked relieved. "It's okay," Hermione said.

Inside, everyone was yelling at Lupin about Snape and the essay.

"It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about werewolves!"

"Two rolls of parchment!"

Lupin frowned slightly. "Did you tell him you hadn't reached that point yet?"

The chatter broke out again. "Yes, but he said we were really behind-"

"He wouldn't listen!"

"He took my points away from Gryffindor!" I added before Ron interrupted me.

" _Two rolls of parchment_!"

Lupin smiled slightly at the looks of indignation on every face. "Don't worry. I'll speak to Snape. You do not have to do the essay." He shuddered slightly.

We had a very interesting lesson about hinkypunks, which lured creatures into bogs. Kind of like the Sirens, only for bogs, and much smaller. At the end of the class, I followed Clara to the door, but Lupin stopped Harry and me.

"I heard about your brooms. Harry, I hope you don't blame Renee for winning." Harry and I exchanged a glance. "Is there any chance of fixing them?"

"Too many pieces." I frowned. "They hit the Whomping Willow."

Lupin sighed. "They planted the Whomping Willow the year I started here. People used to play a game, trying to get close enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were banned from going near the tree. No broomstick would have a chance."

Harry looked as if he couldn't speak. "Did you hear about the Dementors?" I asked weakly.

Lupin glanced at us quickly. "Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Dumbledore that angry. They've been getting restless for some time….angry at his refusal to let them in the grounds….I suppose they were the cause of your falls?"

We nodded. Harry frowned angrily. "We talked about it last night! Renee and me, in the hospital wing. "Why is it us? _Why_? Are we just-"

"It has nothing to do with weakness." He looked into his eyes, then mine. "Harry, the Dementors affect you worse than others because you have horrors in your past that others cannot imagine. Renee, I'm guessing it's something similar."

Harry and I exchanged a glance.

"Dementors are some of the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in despair and decay, they drain peace, hope, and happiness wherever they go. Even Muggles feel their presence, although they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself….soulless and evil. You'll be left with the worst experiences of your life. And Harry, I can at least speak for you when I say your worst experiences are enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Harry shuddered, and I wrapped my arm around him.

"Professor," I said, "When the Dementors get close to Harry, he hears Voldemort murdering Lily."

"And Renee sees her father dying and her mother doing nothing to help!" It was the first time Harry had really spoken up in this conversation, and I was grateful. I said his, he said mine, and we were able to talk about without breaking down, which is what would have happened if I had said my own.

"Why did they have to come to the match?" Harry yelled suddenly.

"They're getting hungry," Lupin said coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. "Dumbledore won't let them near the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up….I don't think they could resist the large crowd at the Quidditch game. All that excitement….emotions running high….it was their idea of a feast."

Harry and I gave a collective shudder.

"Azkaban must be terrible," Harry muttered.

Lupin nodded grimly. "The fortress is set on a tiny island in the North Sea, but they don't need walls or water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single, cheerful thought. Most of them go mad within weeks."

Harry looked puzzled. "But Sirius Black escaped them," he said slowly. "He got away…."

Lupin's briefcase slipped off the desk, and he had to bend down to pick it up.

"Yes," he said, staring off somewhere behind Harry and me. "Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible….Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers…."

"But _you_ made that Dementor leave us alone on the train," I defended.

"There are-certain defenses one can use. But there was only one Dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist."

"What defenses?" I demanded as Harry said, "Can you teach us?"

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting dementors, Harry….quite the contrary…."

"But if they come to another match, we'll still need to defend ourselves!" I protested a little louder than I'd meant to.

Lupin looked into Harry's determined eyes. He seemed to be avoiding my gaze, but I didn't sighed.

"Well, all right. I'll try and help. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill."

* * *

After that discussion with Lupin, I realized something I wanted to do. "Clara," I asked my best friend one day after breakfast, "have you thought at all about History of Magic?"

Clara gasped. Usually the one on top of things, it seemed she had completely forgotten about our promise to McGonagall and Sprout. "Please tell me you have an idea," she said doubtfully.

"I want to research Azkaban. It'll help with current events, and we can get the history of the building and the Dementors."

"That's a great idea, Renee." Clara almost looked surprised.

So with Quidditch practice, the prospect of extra defense lessons, and spending the rest of our time in the library, the rest of November flew by, and soon enough it was almost time to go home for Christmas.

"Nothing like last year," Clara said cheerfully a week before we left. "I've got it all arranged with the Bradleys. "You're coming with me."

We received a letter from Chiron with urgent information saying we were to go on a rescue mission with Thalia, Annabeth, and Percy to help get some demigods who were living in a dangerous situation at a boarding school, and that yes, this _had_ been cleared with our parents. Or rather, Clara's parents. Oh, whatever. The Bradleys.

Clara wanted us to spend the last day before break with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but there was a Hogsmeade visit that day. That said, Clara went off to find Kat and Rebecca, and I found Harry in the library.

"You're staying at Hogwarts again?" I asked.

He nodded, and we started to walk out to the grounds when-

"Psst. Harry."

We turned around. Fred and George were waving behind a statue of a one-eyed witch.

I didn't know whether to follow him, but the twins were beckoning me over too.

"What are you doing?" Harry eyed them suspiciously. "Why aren't you in Hogsmeade?"

"Come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go." Fred said with a mischievous grin. "And Renee, despite what our father thinks, we trust you too."

George nodded. "We heard you in the hospital wing, apologizing to Harry."

"And shutting down the Malfoy git," Fred added with a wink. "Come on in here."

Fred pulled out a piece of old parchment and he and George explained how it had benefitted them. I pretty much tuned out.

Fred and George did something with the parchment, and then left.

"Well," Harry said, turning to me. "Are you coming?"

"What?"

"Honestly, Renee, can you even listen to someone if they talk for more than one minute?" He explained what Fred and George had said, rolling his eyes. "So, are you coming?"

"We could get in so much trouble for this, Harry." I grinned. "Let's do it."

"Fred and George are really rubbing off on you, only they would say something like that." He grinned back at me. "Let's go."

* * *

The journey under the castle took quite some time, but Harry and I had money in our pockets and the thought of Honeydukes to entertain us. I could buy enough chocolate to fix me after a Dementor attack, or a special joke item from Zonko's, which Fred and George had told me about.

I also needed to get some stuff for some of my friends. I had already ordered a 3D design book for Annabeth, an ocean snowglobe with real snow and changing animals for Percy, lightning bolt earrings for Thalia, a plush badger for Clara, and a color changing Hogwarts Quidditch t-shirt for Harry, but I still needed to buy for Sandra, Gill, Tomasz, Ginny, and possibly something small for Luna and Stacy.

Harry and I pushed open the trapdoor to Honeydukes and stepped out into a brightly lit store. There was candy in every direction. Aside from the usual Bertie Botts Beans and Chocolate Frogs, there was levitating sherbet balls, fire-filled chocolate, and miniature chocolate broomsticks.

On the far wall, there was a "Special Effects" section with Ice Mice ("Hear your teeth chatter and squeak!"), Peppermint Toads ("Hop in your stomach realistically!") and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, which I already knew left bright blue bubbles that were impossible to pop.

In another corner, there were shelves lined with Muggle candy, some of which looked as if they had a few special effects added to them as well. There were giant Hershey bars, some in odd colors, and Exploding Starbursts ("like stars bursting within you!").

Harry spotted Ron and Hermione and hurried over to them. They seemed to be discussing what to get as gifts.

"No, he won't like those," Hermione said, pointing to a stack of blood lollipops. "They're for vampires, I expect."

"What about these?" Ron held out a jar of cockroach clusters.

"Definitely not."

Ron nearly dropped the jar. " _Harry_?"

"How did you-what did you- _what_?" Hermione asked in a disapproving tone. Neither of them had noticed me yet.

"Harry! You've learned to apparate!" Said Ron.

"Course I haven't!" Harry's voice dropped to a whisper as he explained the map. He neglected to mention me, and Ron and Hermione still hadn't noticed me.

Hermione sighed. "But you aren't going to keep it?" She asked impatiently. "You'll turn it into Professor McGonagall, won't you, Harry?"

"No, he won't."

" _Renee_? Harry, it's okay that you used it-well, not really but whatever-but bringing a younger student? You could get in so much trouble for this!"

"Hermione, relax," Ron told her adamantly.

"Hermione, if I hand it in," Harry started to explain, "I'll have to be ratting out Fred and George. If I say something, Filch will know they nicked it."

"What about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of those passages to get onto the grounds!" She gave me a weary look.

"You don't actually believe the rumors about our Renee?" Ron looked incredulous.

"Of course not," Hermione said briskly.

"Anyway, Hermione, he can't be getting in through a passage," I said quickly, trying to diffuse the tension. "Filch knows about four of them. And the other three, well, one's caved in, so nobody could use it. One's under the Whomping Willow, so no one can get out. And this one…." I pondered it for a second. Could Black be using one of the passages?

Harry came to my rescue. "It's really hard to see the entrance down in the cellar from the one we came through, so unless you knew it was there…."

Harry trailed off, and I wondered if he was having doubts too.

Ron came to our defense. He pointed to a sign on the door.

-By order of-

The Ministry of Magic

 _Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put into place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall._

 _Merry Christmas!_

"See? Even if Black _was_ using one of the passages, he'd have no chance here! Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, they live over the shop."

"Yes, but-" She looked at us and sighed.

"Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas," Ron said. "They deserve a break."

Hermione smiled grudgingly. She linked arms with me. "You _know_ there's no way I believe that stupid rumor, right?" She whispered.

"Well, duh. Kaylee Parkinson started it, and every time she speaks, nonsense comes out." Even so, I was grateful she had said that.

Outside, there was a roaring blizzard. I huddled with Hermione, since I didn't have my cloak. Harry, on the other hand, seemed fine with being cold. Either that or, he was too embarrassed to huddle with Ron. I guessed it was the latter, he was shivering wildly.

"That's the post office-"

"Zonko's is up there-"

"We could go to the Shrieking Shack-"

"Tell you what," Ron decided, "let's go to the Three Broomsticks and have a Butterbeer."

The tiny inn was extremely crowded, warm, loud, and smoky. I breathed deeply, taking in everything.

Ron and Hermione went up to get drinks, while Harry and I found a table for four. They came back with four large tankards of Butterbeer, and it was the most amazing thing I had ever drank.

It was fizzy and creamy, and it instantly warmed my whole body. This was what I needed to get Clara, I decided, a bottle of this stuff would do wonders. And the plush badger had only been ten sickles anyway.

I felt a cool breeze and looked up to see the door open, and some of the people I least wanted to see walked in: McGonagall, Hagrid, Flitwick, Sprout, and a portly man in a bowler hat-Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.

Ron and Hermione shoved us under the table; we couldn't be seen.

Hermione whispered "Mobiliarbus," and the Christmas tree moved from view to obstruct our table.

Five sets of chair legs moved at the table next to us. Then, a pair of sparkly blue heels appeared, and we heard a woman's voice.

"A small gillywater-"

"Mine," said McGonagall's voice

"Four pints of mulled mead-"

"Ta, Rosmerta," said Hagrid.

"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella-"

"Mmm," said Flitwick, smacking his lips.

"A butterbeer eggnog-"

"Thanks." I could almost see Sprout's warm smile.

"So you'll be the red currant rum, minister."

"Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear. Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, come and join us…."

"Well, thank you very much, Minister."

Ugh. It was the last week of term for professors too, why had I forgotten? This was a really bad idea. My heart was pounding in my throat. Harry clasped my hand. His hand was clammy, and I realized mine must have been, too.

"So what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" Rosmerta asked.

"What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

"I did hear a rumor."

I heard Sprout's playfully exasperated voice. "Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?"

"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" Whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"I'm sure of it," said Fudge shortly.

"You _do_ know that the Dementors have searched the whole village twice?" Said Madam Rosmerta, sounding slightly annoyed. "Scared all my customers away….it's very bad for business, Minister."

"Rosmerta, m'dear, you know I don't like them any better than you do," Fudge said uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution….unfortunate, but there you are….I've just met some of them, they're in a fury against Dumbledore-he won't let them inside the grounds."

"Well, I should think not!" McGonagall interjected sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?"

"Hear, hear!" Flitwick squeaked, his tiny feet a foot above the ground.

"You _do_ know what happened to Renee and Harry at the Quidditch game, don't you, Minister? And on the train?" Sprout added.

"All the same," Fudge demurred, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse. You know what Black's capable of…."

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta shakily. "Of all people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought….I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you had told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," Fudge said gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst? Worse than murdering all those people in the street, you mean?"

"I certainly do," Fudge deadpanned.

"I don't believe that. What could be worse than murder?" I was wondering that too.

"You say you remember him in Hogwarts, Rosmerta." Fudge paused, probably for effect. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, laughing slightly. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here-ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter."

I willed Harry not to do anything, and I guess my charmspeak worked, because he just squeezed my hand harder. I squeezed back.

"Precisely," said McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course-exceptionally bright, in fact-but I don't think we've ever had a pair of such troublemakers-"

"I bet Fred and George Weasley could give them a run for their money," Hagrid chuckled.

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers," Flitwick chimed in. "Inseparable."

"Well, of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black more than anyone. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" Rosmerta asked.

"Worse than that, m'dear." Fudge's voice dropped to something of a low rumble. "Not many people knew the Potters knew You-Know-Who was looking for them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who isn't easy to hide from. Dumbledore told them their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" Rosmerta interrupted.

"An immensely complicated spell," Fudge said hoarsely. "Involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find-unless, of course, the Secret Keeper chose to divulge it. As long as the Secret Keeper refuses to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where James and Lily were living for years and never find them, not even if his nose was pressed up against their sitting-room window."

"So Black was the Secret Keeper?" Rosmerta asked in awe.

"Naturally," Sprout said. "But there was another piece to this, too. Do you remember Regulus, his brother? It was years after he had died, but Sirius had discovered his young daughter in America. She grew up with Harry until that night, and then do you know what he did? He abandoned his niece to the streets, gave her to a random man on the street. He told him to take care of her, and then he ran to go find Peter Pettigrew. And, we think Regulus made Sirius godfather just to _avoid_ this."

"Where is the daughter now?" Rosmerta breathed. "Have you located her?"

"In the castle, I expect. Probably with Potter, I've never seen a better Slytherin-Gryffindor interhouse friendship. Second year Renee Sanderson, of course."

It was Harry's turn to silence me. He squeezed my hand even tighter, and I hoped he wouldn't cut off my circulation.

"I comforted him!" Hagrid roared. "I must have been the last to see him! And he said he could take Harry, because he was godfather! Probably would have pitched _him_ to some rando too! But I argued, said I had Dumbledore's orders. He argued, but eventually agreed and gave me his motorbike. Said he wouldn't be needin' it anymore. Shoulda' known something was up then."

"Hagrid, please," said McGonagall.

"And Pettigrew? Where does he come in?"

"After he betrayed the Potters, he went after Pettigrew," McGonagall explained.

"Pettigrew caught up with him before we did," Fudge groaned. "He was angry and distraught, and he tried to take on Black himself. He must have known he had been the Secret Keeper."

"You mean that little fat boy who was always tagging after Black and Potter?" Rosmerta asked, shocked.

"Yes, that's the one," McGonagall explained. "He hero-worshipped Black and Potter. Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine my regret when I heard…." She sniffled.

"There, now, Minerva," Fudge comforted. "Pettigrew died a hero's death. Witnesses-Muggles, of course, we had to wipe their memories later-told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Black was quicker, of course. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens."

Sprout blew her nose. "Stupid boy….foolish boy….he was always hopeless at dueling….should have left it to the Ministry."

"If I had gotten to him first, I wouldn'ta messed with wands!" Hagrid growled. "I would have ripped him limb- from- limb."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid," said Fudge sharply. "Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement would have stood a chance once Black was cornered. I was Junior Minister of the Department of Magical Catastrophes, and I was one of the first people on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I-I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him….a heap of bloodstained robes and a few….a few fragments-"

Fudge stopped abruptly, and there was the sound of six noses being blown.

"Well, there you have it, Rosmerta," Fudge said quietly. "Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, first class, which I think must have been some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since."

Rosmerta gave a long sigh. "Is it true he's mad, Minister?"

"I wish I could say that he was," Fudge said slowly. "I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man-cruel….pointless. Yet I met Black on my last visit to Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves, there's no sense in them….but I was shocked at how _normal_ Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. You'd have thought he was merely bored-asked if I was done with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Dementors seemed to be having on him-he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."

Rosmerta took a long breath. "But what do you think he's broken out to do? Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to return to You-Know-Who, is he?"

Fudge looked uncomfortable. "I daresay that is his, er, eventual plan. But we hope to catch him long before that, of course. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing….give him his most devoted servant and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again…."

There was ominous silence, then-

"Minister, if you're dining with the headmaster tonight, we'd better get back up to the castle," McGonagall said quickly.

There was the shuffle of six bodies rising, and the door creaked open. I felt a _whoosh_ of air, and then heard Sprout's quiet voice.

"Renee Andromeda Sanderson, I know you're under there. If you come out now and talk to me, there won't be any consequences, and I don't need to know how it happened. It'll just be between us, no other teachers."

I tried to remember if Demeter's kids were usually tricky like that, but then remembered that was Hermes. I held up my hand and signaled for Harry to stay. Then I climbed out from under the table.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Ask someone to teach you how to manage your charmspeak. I don't know what you were thinking, but I could feel the vibes from where I was."

"Why didn't you say something? I didn't want to hear that!"

"As soon as Minerva saw Ron and Hermione, she knew it was the right choice."

"What?" Ron asked in disbelief. "You _wanted_ us to hear that?"

"Someone was going to tell Harry and you at some point." She shrugged.

"He just….gave me up?"

"That part, I lied about. Minerva knows, of course, and she'll tell Hagrid and Flitwick as soon as the Minister is out of range, but we couldn't say it here. The man was really your, um, for lack of a better word, brother. Eros, or as you probably know him, Cupid. He'd been watching Sirius after he allowed you to leave with him, and if anything happened, he would take you back to America.

"Back?"

"I still haven't gotten the full story from your mother, Renee. She wouldn't even tell me who your father was for ages."

"But….I can't believe you!" I was outraged. "You all keep too much from me! What's your secret? You were supposed to have one, and I've ignored it, and now you release all this information about my family that _you knew_!"

"Renee, please, if I knew this was going to upset you-"

"Oh, you didn't think that me being related to the man who led to the murder of my best friend's parents would _upset_ me? I'm going to go home and find Mom and force her to tell me everything! _Everything_! And then, I'm going to force _your_ little secret out of Willowmist!"

"She swore on the Styx, Renee! If you want to kill my best friend, then you're as bad as your uncle!"

People were staring now. I gasped. "Professor, I didn't mean-"

"I'm sorry, Renee. I've had too much eggnog. Merry Christmas, have a good holiday. I'll see you next term!"

And with that, she spun on her heel and left the pub. I buried my face in my hands and ran off after her. I knew Harry, Hermione, and Ron were close behind me, but I didn't care. I ran all the way through the passage at Honeydukes. I'd never argued with a teacher, with _any_ adult, not like that.

When I got to Hogwarts, I raced to her office. "Professor, I'm sorry!" I screamed. "I didn't mean to get angry! I promise, I'm okay!" I could hear sniffling inside. "And I swear on the Styx I won't say anything to Willowmist _or_ Aphrodite over break!"

Thunder rumbled, and my oath was sealed. I knew she had heard it too.

She opened the door. "I'm sorry, too. And _I_ swear on the Styx that I didn't mean it. You're not a killer, Renee. You'd never be like Sirius."

Thunder rumbled a second time, and Sprout wrapped her arms around me. "Merry Christmas, Renee."

"Merry Christmas," I whispered back.

"Lupin told me about the Dementors, Renee. Whatever I can do to help….just let me know, okay? I feel like I haven't seen enough of you this year, Renee. Have some fun with Clara for me this winter. And tell Chiron to keep in touch, okay?"

I nodded, tears forming in my eyes. "Thank you, Professor. Thank you for everything."

I sat there in her arms for a long time and cried like a baby.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Welcome to Celia-has-no-idea-what-she's-doing-land! That's three consecutive chapters where I've done this! I hope it isn't becoming too weird, it's what happens when I have writer's block and no sleep.**_

 _ **Speaking of no sleep, I start school tomorrow, so I probably can't update as much. I have big plans for Titan's Curse, but I'll probably have to do them slowly since I'm taking geometry (death to Celia 1) and chemistry (death to Celia 2). And also some fun classes, but this**_ **is** _**sophomore year, so I'll have a lot of everything, especially homework. Ugh, and I have lunch third period this year too.**_

 _ **Anyway, please review.**_

 _ **Until the next time I can get away from Death to Celia,**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish.**_


	45. Heading Home for the Holidays

_**A/N: My homework isn't too bad this weekend, so I'll give you a short non-canon chapter between the first half of Prisoner of Azkaban and Titan's Curse. Don't expect much out of this, just some Clara and Renee stuff on the train. Really, this is just a filler. As for Titan's Curse, it will come soon, I promise, I just wanted to write this short one now.**_

 _ **Anyway, enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Renee POV**

"She….wanted us to hear that?" Harry demanded, appalled. "She _knew_? She sat there _on purpose_?"

We were sitting in the Hufflepuff hidden room the next morning. Clara and I had all our things packed and with us, as the train was leaving at noon.

I nodded grimly. "Can you believe it?"

Hermione frowned. "That doesn't really sound like McGonagall, Renee. Are you sure?"

"That's what Sprout said, and she's never lied to me _before._ " I was choosing to ignore the previous night's argument with her, which still stung. I wouldn't be talking about that, though, not until I was alone with Clara.

"I still can't believe you!" Clara protested. "When were you planning to tell me about this map?"

"Um….you were with Kat and Rebecca….and I….I don't know…."

"Honestly, I don't know if I'm more concerned that you went, or more upset that you didn't tell me." She shook her head and exchanged a glance with Hermione.

Harry was in shock. I could tell he slept worse than I did last night, and I hadn't slept well at all. "Look at this!" He moaned angrily. "He was my dad's best mate!"

He shoved a red photo album toward my face. "See that? He was best man at their wedding!"

"Harry-" Ron started.

" _What_?"

"Both of you, don't do anything stupid," Clara admonished. "You both have enough to worry about. Renee, we have Chiron's mission. Forget about everything else."

"Like what? What kind of _stupid_ thing would I do?" Harry snapped.

"Don't go looking for him-" Hermione began.

"Because Black's not worth dying for, Harry," Ron finished.

"The dementors will catch him, and serve him right!" I could tell they had rehearsed this, Clara would never say "serve him right" about anyone, not after our research on Azkaban. I hoped never to ever meet a dementor up close and personal.

"You don't know what happens!" I retorted. "When those dementors come, I see my father dying, and Harry hears Voldemort murdering his parents! And it's all because of _Black_!"

"And you heard what Fudge said," Harry added forcefully. "Azkaban doesn't affect him the way it affects us! He doesn't have to hear my mum being tortured!"

"So what are you saying?" Ron asked uncertainly. "You want to-to kill Black or something?"

"Don't be silly," Hermione said in a panicked voice. "They don't want to kill anyone….right, you two?"

Harry and I exchanged a glance. I hadn't ever killed anyone, not even an immortal monster. Although, there were quite a few people who I _had_ considered. And Sirius Black was blood, even if he was purely evil. I couldn't kill my uncle….could I?

Harry spoke first. "Malfoy knows," he said abruptly. "Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself….I'd want revenge.'"

"So you're going to take my jerk of a brother's advice instead of ours?" Clara blinked and realized what she'd just said.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared.

"Your what?" Hermione whispered. "Malfoy?"

Clara looked uncomfortable. "Renee, we need to go, it's almost noon."

I glanced at my watch. It wasn't even eleven yet. "Clara, just spit it out. For the gods' sake, we all have family we hate. I mean, look at Harry and the Dursleys! Look at _me_ , Clara! I'm related to the man who destroyed my best friend's parents!"

Clara trembled. "Apollo fell in love with Narcissa Malfoy, and Clarissa Jeanne Malfoy was born. I should have told you all sooner."

"Can we help who we're related to?" Hermione said kindly.

"I mean, you should all be terrified," Ron agreed, "but there's really nothing you can do. We're all related to, well, for want of a better word, pigs, dogs, and ferrets. And we have to be better than them."

"Ferrets?" Ron was always good comic relief, and a good friend.

"Doesn't Malfoy remind you of one?"

I shrugged, and Ron spent the rest of the hour explaining how Draco Malfoy looked and acted like a ferret. We left for the train in much better spirits, although Harry still looked upset.

"Good luck with your rescue mission, you two," he told us.

"Thank you. Have a good holiday." I handed him the box with his gift, and he handed me mine.

"We'll write if anything comes up," Hermione told Clara. "Keep Renee out of trouble for me." She grinned and exchanged gifts with Clara.

"Hey!"

"Merry Christmas, you two. Enjoy a well-deserved break," Ron said eagerly, and Clara and I went off to catch the train.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I thought I had seen Renee's biggest gift with the badger dress. As I stepped onto the train, I realized clearly I was wrong.

She had gone off on her own shortly after we left the Hufflepuff common room, saying she had something she needed to do. When I next saw her, she was wearing a floor-length emerald green dress and a Santa hat to top it off. And one of the train cars had festive decorations all over it.

"Merry Christmas, Clara," she said, beaming as I walked in with Kat, Rebecca, Lucy, and Emma.

She gestured to a banner above us. It read, "Merry Christmas! Welcome to the Party Car!"

"A whole car for us, Renee? How did you-oh, never mind. What about Kaylee, though?"

"She will never know. I dropped a word with the conductor to keep her gang out at all costs." She winked. "Ah, and there's everyone else."

Gill, Tomasz, Sandra, Ginny, Luna, and Rachel walked in, followed by some second years who I didn't know as well.

Of course, Renee being who she was, she had invited a couple of other Slytherins into our car as well. Stacy was there with Daphne, Tracey, and Astoria.

But, I noticed, some of the others weren't just Slytherins. There was a fair share of other Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, and even a few Ravenclaws.

"Welcome to the password protected party car!" Renee announced. "Password is "Slytherpuff Ravendor! We've got snacks, we've got music, and we're going to have a great time! Report to your prefects, Cedric Diggory and Stacy Ballias, if there is any trouble. Report to me if there is anyone who tries to break in who is not supposed to be here. It's party time!"

She pulled me over to a booth, and I could tell she was excited. "So? How did I do?"

"Wonderful. I can't believe you, Renee. You shouldn't use your you-know-what to get stuff like _this_." But all the same, I was grinning as I went over to talk to Neville.

Eventually, Fred and George started a game of spin the bottle, and I ended up having to kiss Ernie MacMillan. Then we played truth or dare, and a clearly intoxicated Renee asked me to tell her the truth: who were my real parents.

"Annette and Jonathan Bradley." I looked her in the eye. "You _know_ that."

Renee giggled, and I figured it was time for us to step out of the game.

"How much have you had?" I whispered. "And of what?"

"Firewhiskey," she babbled. "It's the best, try some."

"Why would you ask that?" I was ready to slap her.

"Because I wanted everyone to know. Haha, get it? You're not the perfect angel everyone thinks you are."

"Renee Andromeda Sanderson! I'm never letting you _touch_ Firewhiskey ever again." Drunk Renee could be my worst enemy.

"But it makes me feel like this!"

"Exactly! Renee, you need to lie down. Take care of that hangover now. You don't want the Bradleys knowing you had any of that stuff. I'm going to find your stash. I don't even want to know who you charmspeaked to get this, but I never want to see it again. I'll ask one of the boys to help me find it, and I'll tell Stacy and Silena to keep watch on you when I'm not around."

"Silena's not head counselor anymore. I am."

"She's still second in command, Renee. I'll have her keep a close eye on you just the same. No more drinking. Here, lie down on this couch, here you go." I handed her a pillow and a blanket. "Close your eyes, and when we get back to America, I'll give you my bed. Mrs. Jackson's picking us up tomorrow morning. You'll realize your mistake tomorrow, Renee. I promise.

"Okay," she said, unconvincingly. I gave her a glass of water.

* * *

Hours later, the train pulled into the station. I guess I had dozed off too, because when I awoke, the sun had sank below the trees. I looked around. Some people were playing cards, some were dozing, and some were eating the snacks. In the back, they seemed to be having a Christmas song karaoke contest. Fred and George seemed to be leading that.

I didn't see Renee in any of those activities, so I looked over to where I'd left her.

Gill. Of course. Sandra came over to me.

"They've been like that for a good twenty minutes," she told me. "I wonder if they're ever going to come up for air."

"Wow. I hadn't realized they'd gone that far yet. They're only twelve."

"Gill's thirteen, actually. His birthday was last Monday."

"Well, whatever. I can't believe them." I rolled my eyes.

"Did you find the Firewhiskey?" She asked in a low voice.

"How did you know about that?"

"Because Stacy and Cedric did. Stacy's pretty angry right now. I still have no idea how or where Renee got her hands on that."

I nodded in agreement. "What are your plans for the holidays?" I asked.

"I'm going over to Tomasz' place for Christmas. Of course, Nolan will be there too, I expect, so we won't get much quality time together, but that's okay."

"Nolan Avery? What's he got to do with Tomasz?"

"Well, they're cousins, right? His father was one of You-Know-Who's biggest supporters. He kicked Nolan out when he became a Gryffindor. But Tomasz' family is above blood, and Cole Avery's sister, Chloe, took Nolan in. She changed her name, of course, when she married Mr. Ruddernot. As did Callie, their younger sister, Franklin's mother. She changed her last name to Green."

"That makes sense," I said, although it really didn't. Why would someone kick out their own son just because of his house?

"What about you? What do you have planned with Renee?" I glanced over at my best friend. She was still stuck to Gill. Sandra noticed too, and she rolled her eyes.

"We're spending the holiday with my parents again. They've basically adopted Renee, all they need to do now is make it official. Might do some sightseeing, I don't know. I've always wanted to see Hoover Dam."

"That's cool."

"My parents are also making us keep up with my Muggle studies as well. I need to study math and Muggle history. And of course, homework."

"Ugh, homework."

"Ugh," I agreed.

We chatted for a while about school, classes, and life. Ten minutes later, as I exchanged Christmas gifts with friends and we clambered of the train, I realized that was the first successful conversation I had ever had with Sandra where Renee wasn't present.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

I really didn't care who had seen me with Gill. I did, however, need a lot of water to sustain myself after all that tongue action.

And yet, there was something that seemed to be missing from our relationship as well. As the daughter of Aphrodite, it was very frustrating that I couldn't put my finger on it.

On the platform, Draco Malfoy walked up to me. "Have fun in America, loser. Be sure to practice your game. Oh wait….you can't! Because you don't have a _broom_." He smirked.

"I won a game against Harry," I said coolly. "That's more than _you've_ done as a Seeker."

Draco glared and walked away. I felt a shiver down my spine, there was something very interesting about Draco.

I found Clara after giving my last gift, at least of what I had. I was sure I'd have no problem finding something for those I was missing in New York. I was tempted to take peek at Gill's gift, but I also wanted to wait until Christmas.

I linked arms with Clara and we made our way to the fireplace and out into the Muggle world, happy to be heading home for the holidays.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! In the near future, I'm going to create a Hufflepufferfish instagram and probably a Hufflepufferfish email so you can find me there. I'll mostly use it to post pics of my OC's and random headcanons I have, but I might also write a bit too. I'll let you know when that's up.**_

 _ **Exciting plans for Titan's Curse coming up next, but right now school comes first. Even so, I hope to be writing soon. I also plan on getting another Two Loves chapter out soon, I've been struck with inspiration for that one, and maybe a few more Weddings as well.**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Please review!**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	46. Bradleys and Dances

_**A/N: Hey guys. So sorry I haven't written in a while. I got busy with school and then when I did have some free time, I discovered I'd lost my book, and I need to go by the book for this fanfiction. Anyway, sorry for my absence, and sorry that this chapter is going to be kind of a filler, but I hope you enjoy it.**_

* * *

 **Clara POV**

"Eww."

I rolled my eyes. _Of_ _course_ Tony would be the first brother I saw. "Hello to you too," I snapped, brushing off the soot from the fireplace.

"Clara!" Someone called. "Renee! You're home!"

"Not a word," I breathed to Renee.

She nodded. "I'm really sorry, Clara. I didn't mean to do it."

"Are you over your hangover yet?"

"Yeah. Thanks for your help. I don't know what got into me."

I shook my head, but I was smiling.

Ross and Dallas came barreling out of the kitchen. "Welcome home!"

"Thanks." I grinned, hugging Ross as Dallas scooped up Renee.

"Tell me everything," said David, walking out of the hall. "We don't have much time."

"Where's Steven and Mom and Dad?" I asked. "You _know_ how much I hate repeating myself."

The boys laughed. "They're out buying a welcome home cake," Ross told us.

"Are you serious? They're crazy."

"You're their only daughter-daughters," David cut himself off as he looked at Renee. "You're a part of this family, too, Renee. Don't forget that."

Renee blushed and hid her face in her hair, but I could tell she was grinning.

"Are you hungry at all? Dallas asked. "Need some water or crackers or anything?"

" _I'll_ take a cherry coke."

"Tony!" We all rounded on him at once. "You ferret!" Renee said, laughing.

I started to laugh too. "Oh, we've got so much to tell you!"

Luckily, we only had to wait about fifteen minutes for my parents and Steven. They were, of course, overjoyed to see us.

* * *

After an enjoyable dinner filled with explanations, happy chatter, and our favorite foods, my dad pulled me aside.

"First of all, Clara, I can't believe you haven't written about any of this stuff. Dementor attacks on Renee, and you fainted and were out for half a day, and….I thought we agreed you were going to tell me things, both of you! And we all agreed to Chiron's request, but we might just revoke that. Promise me- _promise_ -that we will hear everything from here on out. For both of you. We're your _parents_ , Clara, you know that, right? Much more than Narcissa and Apollo."

"Don't bring my birth parents into this, they've done nothing!" I didn't know why I was so angry about him mentioning them.

"Exactly! They didn't do _anything_ , nothing, not when you were Petrified, or when you were supposed to have died last summer, not even when you were in the hospital wing for shock, _twice_ for two different reasons!"

"Well," I retorted, "Neither did _you_!"

My dad's face fell, but he tried not to show his anger. "They have powers, Clara. We don't."

"If there's anything I've learned from being a demi-witch, it's that anyone- _anyone_ -has the _power_ to make a difference. So yes, you could have helped."

John Bradley just stared at me for a minute.

I turned on my heel. "I need to get ready for tomorrow."

* * *

I found Renee sitting on my bed, trying to look like she was packing for the rescue mission. She gave a sigh of relief when I came in. "Annette was just giving me a really hard time about everything, telling me to be careful and everything. I'm almost thirteen, Clara. I know what I'm doing."

"Ah, so it wasn't just me," I mused. "Did Mom bring up Aphrodite at all?"

"No, but she brought up Narcissa and Apollo, saying they did nothing and reminding me that I was a part of _this_ family. What utter bull."

I nodded in agreement. I knew I should be giving them more respect, as they _had_ raised me, but we were getting to be that age. And, really, our lives were more ours than theirs, especially after the last year and a half.

I halfheartedly threw some clothes in a bag. I'd be back tomorrow, it wasn't like I was packing for camp or something. Or at least, that's what I thought.

* * *

The next morning, Mom said, "Change of plans. Mrs. Jackson is still picking you up, but I'm coming with. I need to see you off safely."

"Are you kidding?" I snapped. "I just want to spend time with my friends, Mom."

"I understand that, and that's why you are spending tonight at camp before coming home in the morning."

"Fine," I grumbled. "Renee, are you packed for tonight?" I tried to divert the conversation.

" _Obviously_."

I laughed, and my brothers stared, confused. "Catchphrase," I mumbled.

We were eating the last of the welcome home cake, because, who _doesn't_ want cake for breakfast, as the doorbell rang. "Mith Jackthon's here," Tony said through a mouthful of cake, chocolate crumbs dribbling out of the corner of his mouth.

"Yes, thank you." I glared at him. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

Mom, Renee, and I walked out in the bright winter sun to Mrs. Jackson's minivan. I hugged Percy as soon as I saw him.

Mom gave me a look that said, _You are_ not _dating at this age_. I rolled my eyes. I didn't even _want_ to date Percy. It was Percabeth for the win, anyone could see that. But then again, Annette Bradley didn't know Annabeth yet, and with my enthusiastic hug, I could see where there was confusion.

We didn't really talk much until we got to Annabeth and Thalia's boarding school, about half an hour away from the city.

Annabeth and Thalia were waiting for us. They waved and clambered into the back with Renee. From there, it was an eight hour drive.

"Clara," Renee muttered as we sped off, so that only we could hear. "Are you beaming the car?"

"What?" Now that I thought about it, we _were_ going faster than all the other New York traffic, but I had no idea I was doing it.

"Tone it down," Annabeth agreed in a whisper. "What would your mom say?" She seemed to sense the tension between Annette and me.

"Everything okay back there?" Mom asked, and I really hoped she hadn't heard us.

"All good," Renee said, with the slightest bit of charmspeak.

By the time we were there, Percy and I were sick of the ride, but Annabeth, Thalia, and Renee seemed to have loved it. This was in part because Sally and Annette had decided it was their job to tell every embarrassing baby story about Percy and me. Renee knew some of mine, of course, but it was still annoying.

"You have everything you need?" Annette asked for the fifth time. "Weapons? Nectar and Ambrosia? Drachmas for camp?"

We nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Sally asked. "I'm worried, Percy."

Annette nodded. "How are you getting back to camp?"

"Don't worry," Renee said with full charmspeak, "we'll keep them safe."

"Oh yeah," she muttered after we were sure our moms were out of earshot. "This'll be fun."

The building was like an uglier, more Americanized, much more terrifying version of Hogwarts. AKA, not like Hogwarts at all.

"Your moms are so cool, Percy and Clara," Thalia gushed.

I nodded while Percy said, "She's pretty okay. What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

Thalia frowned and gave Percy a death glare. Renee clenched her fist; I had forgotten how much she hated to see her closest friends mad. Or maybe, I just hadn't realized how close she was to Thalia.

"If that was any of your business, Percy-" Renee started.

Annabeth and I exchanged a glance. "We'd better get inside," I said quickly, shivering from the heavy snowfall. "Grover will be waiting…."

"You're right," Thalia said, looking happy for an excuse not to have this conversation. "I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."

Percy looked up at the looming, black fortress. "Nothing good," he decided.

* * *

The oak doors creaked open, and the five of us walked in.

"Woah," Renee whispered, and Thalia stepped protectively closer to her. I blushed slightly, that should have been _my_ job.

The building was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and expansive weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and the like. I knew it was a military school, but this seemed like overkill. Literally.

Percy slipped his hand in his pocket, where I knew he kept Riptide in pen form. I still had no idea what my bow and arrows really looked like in secret form, but I suspected something that could be shaped as that. I reached into my pocket to pull out a keychain with a bow and arrow design on it. It had a slightly raised indent. That was actually really smart.

Renee glanced at me. "A _keychain_?" She whispered, slipping out of Thalia's hold. "All I got is a pen like Percy's."

"Yeah, but yours turns into a quill for Hogwarts."

"True-" she stopped short, and a moment later I realized why. A man and a woman had appeared in front of us. They both had short, gray hair and black military style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a wispy moustache, while the man was clean-shaven. That seemed kind of backwards to me. They also both walked very stiffly, as if held up by strings like marionettes.

"What are you doing here?" The woman asked.

"We were just…." Percy mumbled. We hadn't planned for this….

"Ha!" The man said. "Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be _eee-jected_!"

He had an accent-French, maybe, but it seemed to unnerve Renee-and pronounced his j's like in Jaques. His nostrils flared as he spoke, which made it impossible not to stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colors-one brown and one blue, like some monster I had seen in Hagrid's book.

Percy and I exchanged a nervous glance. But as I was worrying about what this man (monster?) was going to do to us, Thalia stepped in front of me and did something odd.

She snapped her fingers. The sound was sharp and loud, and I felt a rush of wind pass by. She glanced at Renee as if signaling her to do something.

"But we're not visitors here, sir," she said at Thalia's cue. "We go to school here. You remember. I'm Renee, and this is Clara. We're in seventh grade, and Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth are in eighth."

What in the world did she think she was doing? Now we'd be tossed out into the snow for trespassing _and_ lying. The man's two-tone eyes narrowed, but he seemed to be hesitating.

"Mrs. Gottschalk, do you know these students?"

Renee and Percy exchanged a glance, and I knew what they were thinking. A teacher called, "Got chalk?" That was insane, something Luna would think of.

The woman blinked, as if she had just been woken from a trance. "I….I believe I do, sir." She frowned at us. "What are you doing away from the gymnasium?" She asked sternly.

I was sure Renee was thinking of a witty reply, but before any of us could say anything, there was another set of hurried footsteps.

"You made it!" Grover yelled, breathless. "You-"

He frowned as he saw the two teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh-"

"What _is_ it, Mr. Underwood?" Dr. Thorn's tone made it clear that he detested Grover. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."

Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. I just meant….they made, uh, the punch! Yes, that's it, they made the punch for the dance! And it's wonderful! And they made it!"

Dr. Thorn glared at us with intensity, but before he could do anything, Mrs. Gottschalk said dreamily, "Yes, the punch is delicious. Now run along. I don't want to see you out of the gymnasium again."

We left with a lot of "yes, Ma'am's" and "yes Sirs" and a few salutes, just because it seemed like the right thing to do.

Percy walked closer to Thalia and mumbled, "How did you do the finger snap thing?"

"You mean the Mist?" Thalia raised her eyebrows. "Hasn't Chiron taught you how to do that yet?"

I could see Percy getting nervous, and I stepped closer to him. "Chill, okay? Calm down. It's an _oversight_." I whispered.

He nodded absently.

"That was close," Grover muttered once we had reached the gym.

"So what's the emergency?" Thalia said in a low voice. "Chiron mentioned a rescue mission?"

"I found two," Grover whispered back.

"Two half-bloods? Here?" Renee gasped.

"I know. It's only ever happened once recently."

"Wait, who?" I asked without thinking. Everyone stared at me. "Oh. Right. Renee and me."

Renee giggled nervously. "A sister and brother," Grover explained, rolling his eyes just slightly. "Bianca is twelve, and Nico is ten. We're running out of time. I need help!"

"Any monsters?" Percy asked.

"One," grover mumbled. "He suspects, but I don't think he's positive yet. But this is the last day of term! I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!"

He looked at Thalia for guidance, and Percy's shoulders slumped a little. Now that she was back, Thalia had more seniority, and Percy didn't seem to like being replaced.

"These half-bloods are at the dance?" Thalia asked, and Grover nodded. "Then let's dance. Who's the monster?"

"Oh," said Grover, looking around nervously. "You've already met him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn."

* * *

 **Renee POV**

The gym was covered with black and red balloons. It made me nervous, probably because of Ares. I didn't like him very much. Boys were kicking the balloons in each other's faces or trying to strangle each other with the streamers, which were also black and red. Girls moved around in football huddles, and I thought some of my half-sisters would have fit right in here. Every so often, they would round on one of the boys like piranhas, and when they came up he would be covered in lipstick and ribbons.

Grover looked over his shoulder at a couple of kids talking near the punch. "That's them," he muttered. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."

The girl wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face. The boy was obviously her younger brother. They had silky dark hair and olive skin, and they both used hand gestures as they talked.

"Have you told them?" Clara whispered.

"No. You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize their power, their scent becomes stronger.

I sighed. "So let's grab them and get out of here. This place is disgusting."

Percy and I started walking forward, but Clara and Thalia grabbed my wrist.

Clara gestured toward the kids. Now, Dr. Thorn was standing near them and giving us a cold, hard stare.

"I don't think he was fooled," Clara murmured.

"Don't look at the kids," Thalia commanded. "Act natural. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."

"How?" I asked incredulously.

"We're five powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse him. Act natural. Do some dancing, but keep an eye on them."

"Dancing?" Annabeth asked nervously.

"Yes, dancing." Thalia turned toward the music. "Ugh. Who chose the Jesse McCartney?"

Grover looked hurt. "I did."

"Oh my gods Grover, that's so lame. Why can't you just play, like, Coldplay or something?"

"Cold what?"

"Never mind." Thalia shook her head and grinned at me. "May I?"

"Won't two girls look awkward dancing together?"

"One of us will have to do it, there's more girls than boys."

"Okay." Oddly enough, it didn't even feel strange to dance with Thalia.

Clara raised her eyebrows at me and mouthed, "You're leaving _me_ with the satyr?" I rolled my eyes and let Thalia lead me onto the dance floor.

Thalia was a good dancer, which surprised me slightly. She twirled me around, and I grinned. Across the gym, I could see Grover and Clara dancing uncomfortably. I suppressed a giggle at that.

"So how's magic school?" Thalia asked abruptly.

"It's going well. I'm taking third-year level classes, and I'll be learning how to repel Dementors next semester!" I was grinning from ear to ear now.

"What are Dementors?"

"Oh. Well, last summer, Harry and I were attacked by them on the train. They're these soulless monsters that make you relive your worst memories. I saw….I think I saw my dad dying, and Aphrodite doing nothing. Nothing!"

Thalia's face fell as I was telling her this. "Renee, why didn't you tell me?"

I shook my head, and suddenly I wanted to tell her everything. "Thalia, that's not even the worst part." I explained about Sirius Black and my relation to him.

"Oh Renee, that's horrible. You know you can always come to me, right? If you want, I can tell Chiron. He knows your principal, right?"

"Headmaster, yeah. But Thalia, I don't need-"

I was cut off by the sight of Annabeth and Grover running toward us. "He's taken them," Annabeth panted, out of breath. "We need your expertise, Thalia!"

I cursed, pulling out my wand. "Where's Clara and Percy?"

Annabeth moaned. "They were right behind me!"

"They can't have gone after Thorn, can they?" Thalia asked worriedly.

"No, Clara's to sensible for that. She would have stopped him." I was almost positive.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I tried to stop Percy from chasing after the monster, but he was insistent.

"They all go running to Thalia when there's a problem," Percy huffed. " _I_ saved Zeus' Lightning Bolt. _I_ rescued Grover and got the Fleece. They should trust me, too."

"Percy-"

But he was already sprinting in the other direction. I glanced over my shoulder at Annabeth and Grover, who were already too far ahead for me to call out to. I had no choice but to follow Percy.

"Hey, wait up!"

"You're coming?" He asked incredulously.

" _Someone's_ got to stop you from making any more bad decisions."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So I hope you liked the chapter and that I didn't lose too many followers in my absence. I'll try to at least start the next chapter this weekend, but it's hard. Classes are driving me nuts, and I have too much homework to even do anything. I read a book yesterday and it felt so relieving, and then I felt guilty because I hadn't done anything with my day. This is what you have to face Sophomore year, guys.**_

 _ **Anyway, please review, and don't hate on me for being slow to publish. Thank you. Also, I'm thinking of subtly changing any mention of Renee's birthday from June ninth to May second just so I can have her birthday on an important day in the Harry Potter universe as well. Let me know what you think of this idea!**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	47. Half-Bloods, Hunters, and a Manticore

**Clara POV**

"Percy, I'm telling you, this is a bad idea!" I hissed as we rounded the corner.

"Oh, shut up," Percy whispered back nervously.

"Percy-"

"No. I mean it. Be quiet." He gestured down the hall. And then I saw them. The di Angelos stood, frozen in horror and staring at us. Dr. Thorn was nowhere to be seen.

Percy rushed forward without a second thought. I couldn't see what else to do, so I followed.

"My name's Percy," Percy said, trying not to sound scared. "This is Clara. We're going to take you out of here. Get you somewhere safe."

"Percy," I whispered as the girl's fist clenched. "Percy!"

It was too late. A _WHIIISH_ knocked Percy to the ground. I pulled out my wand, but I had no idea what spell to use or where to aim.

"Yes, Perseus _Jackson_ and Clarissa _Malfoy_ ," Dr. Thorn's cold, accented voice said from the shadows. "I know who you are."

I rushed to Percy, who looked as if he had been hit with poison. I helped him up, but I couldn't do anything more. "Try not to pass out." My voice was barely a whisper.

Percy nodded and I saw a shadow coming towards us. Dr. Thorn appeared out of the darkness, his two-colored eyes glinting visible in Percy's sword.

"Thank you for coming out of the gym. I hate middle school dances."

There was another _WHIIISH_ and Bianca di Angelo yelped. The second missile had landed on the wall, just inches away from her face.

"All four of you will come with me. Quietly. Obediently. If you shout or cry out for help, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."

Percy looked at me, and I shook my head slightly. I couldn't risk sunbeams right now. He nodded, then closed his eyes. A picture of Grover popped into my head, and I shut my eyes too as I realized what Percy was trying to do.

Last summer Grover established an empathy link between himself and Percy and me. I had no idea whether it worked if we tried to send him messages, but we had to at least attempt it.

Dr. Thorn glowered at us. "What are you doing?"

"It's my shoulder," Percy mumbled. I tried to look alert.

"Bah. My poison causes pain. It won't kill you."

I concentrated hard. Would this even work if Grover was awake? It was our only hope. _Hey Grover! Thorn's kidnapping us. He's a poisonous maniac! Help!"_

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said silkily. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Nico reminded me of Renee.

Percy squeezed his eyes shut again. I concentrated hard on Grover too. _Grover! Apples! Tin cans! We're in the clearing behind the school!_ "

"Halt." Dr. Thorn held up his hand.

The woods opened up. We had reached a cliff overlooking the sea. Bianca shuddered and stepped closer to me. I glanced sideways at Percy, who gulped.

 _If you take one, I can take the other_ , I thought, hoping that by some miracle Percy would understand me.

"Yes, by all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump. There is the sea! Save yourself!"

Well, _someone_ had read those thoughts.

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.

"I'll explain later," I said quickly.

"You guys _have_ a plan, right?"

I nodded, thinking, _Grover! Help! Tin cans! Lettuce!_

Percy glanced toward the water, then at me. He looked at Bianca.

"You do not realize who I am, do you?" Dr. Thorn asked.

Another missile landed so close to Percy that it could have taken his ear off. _He had a tail_!

Dr. Thorn frowned. "Unfortunately, you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you'd already be dead."

Nico shuddered.

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you're looking for a ransom, we've got no family. Nico and I…" Her voice wavered. "All we've got is each other."

Dr. Thorn laughed. "Not to worry. Soon you will meet my employer, and then you will have a whole new family."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Luke! You work for Luke."

"No, he doesn't," I retorted. "I only knew Luke for a little while, but he'd never do this of his own accord. It's Kronos and….and….and Kaylee. And there is a plan, isn't there, that's bigger than all of us?"

Percy shot me a look that clearly said, _What are you doing?_ I smiled weakly, trying to stall.

"Bah. I have no time for half-bloods. I shall let the General enlighten you. Miss Malfoy, you won't be needed, of course. It's the other three….ah, but there are plenty of monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is approaching."

"The Great what?" I demanded. "I hate you with everything I've got!" I'd been holding back, not using my powers, but suddenly I couldn't control it. I shot up into the air on a sunbeam I didn't even know I had summoned.

"Clara, stop!" Percy yelled, but I couldn't.

"What's happening to her?" Nico screamed, sounding even more scared than before.

Dr. Thorn ignored me as I tried to gain control of the sunbeam. "Your ride approaches."

I could hear a helicopter off in the distance. I directed my beam toward Nico, who was closest to me. Percy saw what I was trying to do.

"Bianca, you have to jump with me into the ocean!"

I almost had Nico when Dr. Thorn shot another missile at us. It grazed my arm and knocked me off my sunbeam.

"He's nuts, and so are you!" Bianca spat at Percy.

 _WHAM_! Something collided with Thorn. Percy ran to help me up where I'd fallen, dazed. I looked into the shadows, expecting to see more monsters. A powerful thought told me to act more injured, and then I knew: our friends had arrived at last.

* * *

 **Renee POV**

Annabeth and I plowed into Thorn's back, she with her cap of invisibility and me with my wand at the ready. It was a smart move, and Thorn threw his missiles far over our friends' heads instead of back at us. This gave Thalia and Grover a chance to advance.

I had never seen Thalia run into battle before, and it was so frightening that it almost knocked me off my position. Annabeth grabbed my hand and stabilized me as Thalia yelled, "For Zeus!"

Her sword, Aegis, was the scariest thing. It was modeled after Zeus' sword and had a Medusa head on it that could petrify without really doing so. Percy and Clara apparently thought the danger was up from the way Thalia's spear and shield, but from Annabeth and I were, things looked quite different.

Clara screamed as Thorn's hand turned into a giant, orange paw. If it hadn't been for her shield, Thalia would have been sliced to pieces with his claw. As it was, she managed to do a barrel roll and land on her feet.

Thorn launched another set of missiles at Thalia, and the impact on Aegis knocked her off her feet. Seeing this, Grover sprang into action and blew hard on his reed pipes. Vines entangled Thorn as he thrashed at Percy and Clara, who were still on the ground.

Dr. Thorn roared and began to grow, in the same way that Melissa and Allison- _no,_ I reminded myself, _Ariana and Morgana_ -had back in our last day at the elementary school, before Jade was Juniper and Clara and I were demigods _or_ witches.

"He's a Manticore!" Annabeth yelled, and I groaned. We were suddenly visible because her Yankees cap had come off.

"Who _are_ you people?" Bianca demanded. "And what is _that_?"

Nico gazed up at Thorn. "A manticore? He's got three thousand attack power plus five to saving throws!"

Bianca rolled her eyes, and the rest of us just looked perplexed.

"Get down!" Annabeth yelled at the di Angelos. Percy pressed a button and his shield popped out. Dr. Thorn's missiles bounced off it, but the shield was badly damaged.

I heard Grover scream as he went flying into Percy. "Yield!" the monster roared as the helicopter became louder and louder.

"Never!" Thalia cried, running at Thorn. I closed my eyes, not wanting to feel the impact. Actually, I didn't really want to see anymore.

Annabeth was shaking me, but I really couldn't look. "Now do you see how hopeless it is?" Dr. Thorn said mockingly. "Yield, little heroes."

I winced, squeezing my eyes shut tighter. Somewhere off in the distance, a horn sounded, deep and forceful. For a moment, everyone froze.

"It cannot be-"

Thorn's complaint was cut short as an arrow whizzed into his shoulder. I opened my eyes, now would be the time to try and get off. But Annabeth held me tight.

"Don't move," she hissed.

Thorn fired his arrows, and Annabeth held me down. I flashed her a quick but grateful smile; getting off would have been a mistake just then.

Another silver arrow flew at the spear and intercepted it in midair. I blinked a few times; no archer was good enough for that, not even Clara and her siblings.

A group stepped out into the clearing. They were all girls who looked like they were close enough to our ages. They all had a silver circlet around their hair.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth gasped beside me.

"Oh, wonderful," Thalia muttered.

Before I could ask what was going on, one of the girls said, "Permission to kill, my lady?"

Thorn wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference is against the Ancient Laws!"

"Not so." The speaker was a younger girl who looked a lot like Ruby from the Apollo cabin. She was beautiful, but unlike most of my sisters, she looked downright dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts are within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl who had spoken first. "Zoë, permission granted."

"If I can't have you alive I will have you dead," the monster growled at Thalia, Percy, and Clara.

"FIRE!" Zoë commanded, not seeing Annabeth and me.

"NO!" Percy and Clara screamed.

"You will pay, Huntress," the monster spat. Then, without warning, he dived into the water, Annabeth and me hanging wildly off his back.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I screamed, watching my best friend fall before my eyes. I didn't even notice the helicopter advancing as I saw Renee plummet into the ocean.

 _SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!_ Gunshots. Bullets fell at the Hunters' feet, and they all scattered. All, that is, but the auburn haired one, who just stood calmly in the line of fire.

"Mortals are not allowed to witness my hunt." The young woman snapped her fingers and the helicopter became a flock of birds. The Hunters advanced on us.

"Five half-bloods and a satyr, my lady," said the girl called Zoë.

"Yes." The other woman nodded. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

Zoë looked at Thalia. " _You_."

"Zoë Nightshade," Thalia spat.

Percy glared at the Hunters. "You have to let us save them!" He tried to stand, but the Hunters held him down firmly.

"You are in no condition to be hurtling yourself off a mountain," the auburn haired girl admonished.

Percy glowered. "Just who do you think you are?"

Zoë stepped forward as if to smack me, but the other girl held her back. "No," she ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoë. He is distraught and does not understand." She gazed at us. "I am Artemis. Goddess of the Hunt."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So sorry this one took forever to get out**_ **AND** _**was a filler. The next one should also be filler, unfortunately, but I'm hoping I can get the next two out before break is over. Then, the fun stuff happens. I love Titan's Curse and I can't wait to put Clara into the dam scene (and others).**_

 _ **Happy New Year and best wishes for 2017! Please review!**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	48. Dreams, Captures, and Delphi

_**A/N: So, we're mostly going to be doing Clara's POV for the next little while, seeing as Renee is, um, otherwise occupied now. Maybe a bit of Annabeth and Renee combined, but that's about it. I might also put in some Draco or Harry just for the fun of it. I think I'll start this chapter by being a bit of a hypocrite, though, and just explaining how Renee got where she is.**_

 _ **Sorry that most of this chapter is going to be filler again. This will be all the time spent at CHB, and then, we'll move on to the fun stuff. Again, mostly Clara and maybe some supporting characters for most of**_ _ **Titan's Curse**_ _**canon.**_

 _ **Also, even though this chapter is really long, it's mostly filler. The next chapters will be shorter with more action and non-canon stuff, but I wanted to finish all of the beginning of Titan's Curse in one chapter because if I didn't, I'd never get it done. I'd rather write the dam scene, the scene with Rachel Dare, and the final action scene, but skipping around to those parts would leave too many unanswered questions. Bear with me.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_

* * *

 **Renee POV**

Annabeth and I clutched each other as we fell towards the sea. But the impact never came.

Instead, Dr. Thorn rose, somehow back at his full strength, and we disappeared. Annabeth squeezed my hand.

The next thing I knew, we were on a mountain. I gave a little sob. For once, the daughter of wisdom was as lost as I was.

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I just stared. If gods could appear however they wanted, why would Artemis choose to look like a twelve year old girl?

"Um…" Percy said, "okay."

Grover, on the other hand, was practically tripping over his hooves. "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so….you're so….wow!"

Thalia and I glared at them. "Get up, goat boy!" She snapped. "Annabeth and Renee are gone!"

A sob caught in my throat, and I glowered at everyone who'd gotten me into this mess: Percy, the Hunters, basically everyone but Thalia.

"Whoah," Bianca di Angelo said, and I remembered myself. "Hold up. Time out."

She looked as if she were trying to solve a puzzle where a piece had never been given. We all stared at her and Nico.

"Who….who _are_ you people?"

Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are _you_? Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at Nico, who was still staring at Artemis in awe. I had the sudden feeling they had no idea who they were at all.

"Our parents are dead," Bianca mumbled. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but….Nico and I, we've only got each other." She trailed off. Everyone else looked as if they didn't believe her, and I guess I must have as well, because she looked me in the eye and said, "What? It's the truth."

"You are a half-blood," said Zoë Nightshade, who sounded much calmer than any of us felt. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian….athlete?"

"No," Zoë corrected, "One of the gods."

"Cool!" I'd almost forgotten Nico was there.

Bianca rounded on him. "No! This is not cool!"

Nico lit up like a Christmas tree. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for-"

Bianca's face was white. "Nico, shut up!" She nearly screamed. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

I looked at this girl, and I remembered when two of my childhood friends turned into monsters before my eyes. It was hard to think that was less than two years ago.

Thalia and Percy seemed to be feeling the same way. Thalia really looked at Bianca for the first time, and the anger in her eyes subsided somewhat.

"Bianca," she said kindly, "I know it's hard to believe, but the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well….Our lives are in danger."

"Like the girls who fell," Bianca noted.

Thalia turned away, and I took a deep breath. Even Artemis looked pained.

"Do not despair for Annabeth and Renee," the goddess said. "They were brave maidens. If they can be found, I shall find them."

"Then why are you keeping us here?" I demanded.

"Yeah, why won't you let us go search for her?" Percy echoed.

Artemis looked directly at him. "She is gone, son of Poseidon. Can't you sense it? I do not know exactly how or why, but your friends have vanished."

"Ooh!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with those arrows! Is he dead?"

Bianca rolled her eyes, but looked intrigued all the same.

"He was a manticore," Artemis said with distaste. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They reform over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear. "

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia said.

Bianca shivered. "That explains….Nico, you remember those guys who tried to attack us in an alley last summer in D.C.?"

"And that bus driver with ram's horns! I _told_ you that was real!"

"That's why Grover has been watching you," Percy said. "To keep you safe, in case you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca looked at him, shocked. "You're a demigod?"

"Actually, I'm a satyr." Grover kicked off his shoes to reveal goat hooves and fur. Bianca screamed.

"Grover," I admonished. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!" Grover protested. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Bianca," he said. "We came here to help you. You and your brother need training to survive; Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. We need to get you two to camp."

"Camp?"

"Camp Half-Blood," I filled in. "It's where we learn survival skills that we could need in battle. You can join us, stay there year round if you want."

"Sweet, let's go!" Nico exclaimed without a second thought.

"There _is_ another option," Zoë said firmly, glancing at Bianca.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia retorted.

I looked at Percy, who shrugged. Thalia and Zoë glared at each other icily. I wondered what their past had been, then decided I didn't want to know.

Artemis looked at Zoë. "We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoë, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady."

"And Bianca, come with me. I'd like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Nico piped up.

Artemis considered him. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure he would be happy to entertain you….as a favor to me." The goddess smiled, and I knew she had said just the right thing.

"Come on, Nico!" Grover grinned broadly as he nearly tripped over himself getting up.

Nico and Grover walked over to the woods, talking about hit points and armor ratings and other geeky stuff. I sighed, wishing I was back at Hogwarts. Artemis led a confused-looking Bianca down the cliff, and Zoë gave Thalia one more nasty look before going to oversee things.

I was left with Thalia and Percy. I slumped down to the snow.

"The nerve of those Hunters!" Thalia exclaimed, stomping her foot in frustration. "They're so….Aargh!"

"I'm with you," Percy said, nodding in agreement. "I don't trust-"

"Oh, you're with me?" Thalia turned on him furiously. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Percy? You'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You _knew_ he was a monster!"

"I-"

I was ready to slap him. Fury rose inside of me; this was all his fault. "If you had just _listened_ to me, Percy, and we had stuck together, we could have taken him without _those girls_ getting involved. My best friend might still be here, and yours too!"

Percy looked like he was going to say something, but he glanced down and saw Annabeth's cap and, to my horror, Renee's wand.

Thalia picked up the wand, then pulled on my arm. "Come on, Clara!" She stormed off towards the woods and I followed her without even looking back at Percy.

Thalia spread her arm around me. "This calls for a quest. We'll find them."

A tear slid down my cheek.

* * *

I wasn't exactly sure what happened, but I must have fallen asleep on Thalia, because the next thing I knew, Artemis was shaking us awake, Bianca was a Hunter, and my dad was on his way. Percy was behind her, and Grover and Nico were laughing uncomfortably about something a ways away.

Zoë looked even angrier than before. She looked as if she had just come out of an argument with her patron goddess.

"I'm not going to Camp Half-Blood," she was saying to a disgruntled group of Hunters. "And I'm definitely _not_ going to ride with _him_!"

I assumed "him," was my father, and suddenly I was angry. "Don't insult my father!" Why was I saying this? Apollo had never really even been in my life.

"Thy father is a disgrace to our lady and her hunters," Zoë said, heated. "Thy father is a brother she should have never had to begin with."

"My father is the god of music, which is beautiful. I wonder what your father does? Probably a lower god, one who _we should have never had to begin with_." Where was this coming from? This was Renee's behavioral style, not mine.

I looked Zoë in the face and realize I had touched a nerve. Her hand tightened on her bow and arrow, and I immediately reached for my wand without thinking.

Thalia looked me in the eye, a warning look. _Not now_ , she was saying.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling. Percy gasped and whispered, "that's my car!" Then he covered his mouth. My father had arrived.

"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks." I shielded my eyes.

I'd seen a lot of things in the last few years, but my father, as a teenage guy? I never wanted to see that again.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

I playfully slapped her, This was my _father_.

"Little sister," Apollo called, and there was a collective groan. I could see how people were annoyed by him, and I also had a feeling he had no idea I was here. Even a god wouldn't act this way in front of his _daughter_.

"What's up? You never call, you never write, I was getting worried!"

Percy looked like he wanted to throw up, for my sake. He urged me forward with his eyes. _Show him you're here and he won't be so ridiculous_.

I stepped forward a little, and Apollo went white.

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your _little_ sister."

"I was born first," Apollo smirked.

"Artemis rolled her eyes. "How many millenia do we have to argue…."

"So what's up?" Apollo cut her off. "Got the girls with you, I see. Need some archery tips?"

As much as I hated to admit it, Zoë had a point about my father. Artemis grit her teeth. "I have some hunting I need to do. _Alone_. I need you to take my Hunters to Camp Half Blood."

"Sure, sis." Apollo was beaming. He raised his hands in a "stop everything" motion and said, "I feel a haiku coming on."

He cleared his throat dramatically.

" _Green grass breaks through snow._

 _Artemis pleads for my help._

 _I am so cool._ "

He grinned at us, waiting for applause.

"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

I stepped up, reminding him once again to put on a better face. "Yes. It was. What about, 'My ego is huge?'"

Apollo just stared, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw some of the Hunters smile, and even Zoë looked amused. She turned to me.

"Thy father has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I had to hear one more poem that started with, ' _There once was a goddess from Sparta_ …." She smiled weakly, and I realized she was warming up to me.

"I got it," Apollo said, and even I groaned this time. "I am so _awesome_." He gave a very proud bow. "And now, transportation for the Hunters, you say?"

"Yes," Artemis said, as if she was completely unwilling to take any of her brother's nonsense. "And these demigods will also need a ride." She gestured to us.

"My baby!" Apollo looked at me, as if seeing me for the first time that day (which I knew wasn't possible). "And you must be Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus. Used to be a pine tree, didn't you? I'm glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls get turned into trees. I remember this one time in London when-"

Artemis looked at him sternly. "You'd better get going."

"Right." Then he looked at Percy, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah….uh, yes sir." I didn't think my father was the type to get offended, but I was glad Percy had corrected himself anyway.

My father studied him. "Dad," I whispered politely. Well, sort of politely anyway. "Change your car and let's go."

"Why do I need to change the car?" Apollo looked confused.

"There's, like, twenty of us."

Apollo's looked at me blankly. "You're right. Looks like the Athena children and that Granger girl have had an influence on you. I mean, because your smarts definitely don't come from me." Thalia and Percy were trying not to laugh in the background at how inept Apollo was. Ah, godly parents.

"I hate to switch out of sports car mode," he said sadly as he clicked his keys. The car beeped and changed into a limo. "Everybody in."

Zoë hefted her bag and set her sights on the back with the other hunters.

"Here, sweetheart, let me get that," my father said to Zoë.

Artemis's eyes were daggers. "Brother," she said with a calm rage, "You do not help my hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my hunters. And you do _not_ call them sweetheart. Go use that trick on your daughter, Apollo, before she abandons you."

Percy's face was red from trying not to laugh, and mine was scarlet from embarrassment. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I forgot," Apollo said simply, avoiding my gaze. "Hey sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said coldly. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out," Apollo smirked. "I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes and looked at her hunters, who were already starting to climb to the back of the limo. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoë, you are in charge of the hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

"Yes, my lady."

Artemis touched the ground, as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

With that, we piled into the limo, the hunters near the back and us close to the front. "Now," said Apollo, "who wants to drive?"

Nico's hand shot up. "Ooh, ooh, pick me!"

"Well….too young," Apollo decided.

"Well that's okay," Nico said, but he was pouting.

"Oo, oo!" Grover raised his hand more politely.

"Too furry."

I thought it was rude of my dad to even have to pick someone when _I_ was in the car. _I'm your daughter_ , I screamed internally.

Apollo focused his gaze on Thalia. "Daughter of Zeus. Perfect."

"Um…." Thalia was at a loss for words.

"Come on. Zeus wouldn't blast his daughter out of the sky."

"Why not pick _your_ daughter instead?" Thalia mumbled.

"Clarissa does know that she's far too young." Apollo gave me a wink which I didn't return. "How old are you, Thalia?"

"Um…." Thalia said again.

Apollo thought for a second. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen.

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that?"

Apollo shrugged. "I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."

Thalia looked puzzled, as if she was trying to figure something out. "That's my birthday. December twenty second."

"You're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit."

She looked at me helplessly. I motioned to her.

"You'll do fine," I whispered. "I'll beam us if there's any trouble. But there shouldn't be."

Oh, how wrong I was.

* * *

We made it to camp with only about twenty instances of Apollo losing his cool. "You're freezing Cape Cod!" and "Those trees shouldn't be on fire!" were only two of the things he pointed out to her. And I suddenly had the idea that Thalia, daughter of the sky lord, was afraid of heights.

Finally, though, we made it to camp unscathed. Apollo sped off, back in his Maserati, leaving us to make our way to Camp Half Blood. I realized that I would have to be the bringer of bad news, because Percy and Thalia would probably have to go and talk to Chiron, and I just wasn't up for reliving that at the moment.

I made my way to cabin ten first. It was better to tell Silena what had happened now than it would be for her to find out from someone else, certainly. Then, I could check out the Apollo cabin. Not that I needed reminders of my father at the moment, though.

I knocked lightly on the door of the Aphrodite cabin, and to my disgust, it was Drew Tanaka who answered.

"Oh look, it's little miss sunshine," she sneered.

"Oh look, it's little miss priss," I shot back.

"Come on in. Let us give you a makeover!"

"Haha, I almost fell for that. Or maybe I might have if your charmspeak was even half as strong as Renee's."

"Alright, what do you want, sunburn? Renee's not here."

"I know that." It took everything I had not to whip out my wand. "Where's Silena, makeup face?"

"Did I hear my name?" Silena called from somewhere. "You two better not be gossipping about me again! I'll tell Mom!" She came out to the front room. "Clara?"

I smiled with relief. "Can we talk for a sec? Like, out here?" I looked pointedly at Drew.

"Yeah, of course. Drew, if I catch you and Layna doing anything against me and Renee, or messing with our personal stuff, I will personally see to it that your status as third-in-command is revoked."

"You won't catch us," Drew muttered.

Silena rolled her eyes. "It's been torture with just those two to keep me company all year," she groaned. "Where's Renee, I could really use her help right now."

"Um, Silena," I whispered. "You might want to sit down."

She sat back in the large porch swing and I placed myself next to her. "Our mission at the school went wrong," I told her, a sob forming in my throat. "We got the two demigods out, but we lost two in the process. Annabeth and Renee are missing. I'm not sure where, but they're not here. A manticore took them, and I think it had something to do with Luke and Kronos."

Silena gasped, slumping back in the swing. "I can't believe this! I can't believe….LUKE!" She roared, and I realized I'd never seen her so angry.

She buried her head in her jacket and sobbed, and I put my arm around her. "I want to be the one to personally find her," I insisted. "I'll bring her back."

Silena hugged me tightly, and I related everything that had happened. She grimaced when I mentioned that the hunters were here.

"Oh great, another losing game of capture the flag."

"Huh?"

"It's a camp tradition whenever the hunters come. We've lost the last, um, eighty six games."

"Well, that sounds….anticlimactic."

"It really is. Clara, you should go. Ruby's been waiting for you for four months, and that's a lot of time for a nine year old."

"She's nine?" I stammered. "I mean, when was her birthday? I can't believe I missed it!"

"Last month, November fifteenth."

"I can't believe this! Gotta go!"

I beamed myself to Cabin Seven because I didn't feel like walking.

* * *

"Clara!" Ruby yelled as soon as she saw me. "You're back!"

I wrapped the little girl up in a huge hug. Her auburn hair glinted in the midday light, and I grinned, happy to see my younger half-sister.

"It's cold. Let's go in." She grinned at me, and in that moment, I felt so happy to be back.

I surveyed the room as soon as I went into my cabin. Most of the beds were cleared, of course, including Will's, Lee's, and Michael's. They kind of shared command, even though I knew Will was the real counselor, but I was technically Will's second. So that meant….I looked over at Fiona, a shy girl with raven hair wound into a tight braid, and an olive complexion. Of the few people who were staying, she was by far the oldest in our current cabin, at twelve, but she was fairly new and had arrived just last summer.

"How are things here?" I asked her tentatively. Aside from Ruby and her twin sister Diamond, it was only Fiona and Austin.

"Thank the gods," Fiona muttered without looking at me. "It's been long enough, with you running off to go to your _prestigious boarding school_."

What was _her_ problem? I rolled my eyes and decided not to ask.

"Clara! You're home!" Diamond squealed. "Does that mean Renee's back at the Aphrodite cabin?" She had dyed her hair stark white, and was now slightly taller than her sister.

"Um….we ran into some trouble. But, she'll be back soon, I think." To some extent, I knew I should just tell them the truth, even though they were only nine. On the other hand, Renee was Diamond's idol, at least in that brief moment where they had met. I didn't want to worry her.

Thankfully, I didn't have to say anything, because there was a knock on the door. I pulled it open. "Oh, hey Percy."

"Hey. Wanted to let you guys know there'll be a capture the flag game tomorrow night. Customary tradition with the Hunters."

Fiona and Austin groaned, and the twins stared blankly. I was happy to see Percy.

"Hey, you wanna come over and chat for a bit?" He asked me.

"Sure. Ruby, you don't mind, do you?"

"Sit with me at dinner and tell me everything and we'll be fine." The little girl grinned at me. "That's in half an hour, you know."

I nodded and followed Percy to the Poseidon cabin.

* * *

My jaw dropped at the blue walls and seashells everywhere, and then I heard a gurgling sound. "You have a fountain? That's so cool!"

"That must be new," Percy said, frowning. Some gold coins shimmered in the water. "Must be a gift from Dad, reminding me to keep in touch."

"You should probably call….someone."

"Do you want to talk to Tyson?"

"Sure." I gave my first genuine smile that day.

"Sunbeam, please?"

I procured one, and Percy used it to cause a rainbow with the water. "Show me Tyson at the Forges of the Cyclopes."

The Mist shimmered and Tyson appeared, his back to us. He was surrounded by fire, which would have been a problem if he weren't a cyclops.

"Tyson!" Percy called, but he didn't hear him because of the roar of the flames.

"TYSON!" Percy and I yelled together, and this time, the cyclops turned and his enormous eye widened.

"Percy!" He yelled, lunging at the shimmering reflection of our faces. "And Clara!"

The vision blurred and we instantly lurched back. "Tyson," Percy explained patiently, "it's an Iris Message. We're not really here."

"Oh," Tyson mumbled. "Oh, right, yes. Yes, I knew that, of course." Tyson looked embarrassed.

"How are you?" I asked, happy to see an old friend. "How's the job?"

Tyson grinned and picked up the flaming sword with his bare hands, not even wincing as he held it. "I love it. Look, I made this!"

"It's beautiful," I told him honestly.

Percy nodded. "That's so cool!"

"I wrote my name on it, right here, see?" He gestured to the hilt.

Percy smiled. "That's awesome! But Tyson….do you get to see Dad a lot?"

Tyson's face fell. "Daddy is….busy. Worried about the war."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I knew war was inevitable, but if a god was worried….

Tyson sighed and stuck his sword out of the window. There was a bubbling noise and when he pulled the sword back in, the metal had cooled. "Old sea spirits making trouble. Aigaios. Oceanus. Those guys."

I gulped. If older titans were stirring, that could mean bad news for Percy in the prophecy….and me.

"Is there anything I can do?" Percy asked.

Tyson shook his head sadly. "We are arming the mermaids. They need a thousand more swords by tomorrow." He looked at the one he'd made and sighed. "And old spirits are protecting the bad boat."

I gasped. "The _Princess Andromeda_? Luke's boat?"

Tyson nodded. "Yes. They make it very hard to find. Otherwise Daddy would smash it."

I chuckled at his nonchalant way of saying that. "Smashing it would be good."

Percy nodded in agreement.

Tyson perked up as if he had just thought of something. "Annabeth. Is she there? And Renee?"

Percy glanced nervously at me, and I shook my head ever so slightly. _Not now_. He sighed and gave a tiny nod.

"Um, they're not here right now," Percy said.

"Well, tell Annabeth I said hello. Hello to Annabeth and Renee!"

We nodded solemnly.

"And don't worry about the bad boat," Tyson said abruptly. "It's going away."

"Going away?" I muttered, confused.

"Panama canal! Very far away."

Percy raised his eyebrows at me, and I shrugged. What would Luke be doing all the way down there?

"That's….good, I guess," Percy said, clearly having the same thoughts as I was. From the back of the forges, a loud voice bellowed something incomprehensible.

Tyson looked around nervously. "Gotta get back to work. Boss will get mad. Good luck, brother!"

"Okay," Percy started to say, "tell Dad-"

The message cut off and Percy fell back on his bed, gesturing to an empty one across the way. I suddenly realized that it had barely been forty-eight hours since I had been home with the Bradleys; barely a day since I had left Hogwarts. And so yeah, I was tired. And to think some people actually have normal sleep patterns.

* * *

I was woken up ten minutes later with banging on the door. "Clara, are you still in there?"

"Ruby, is that you?"

"Diamond and Silena said it was best if I go. They didn't know who else you would talk to."

I rose to go and open the door, but Percy was already up. "I hadn't realized how late it was getting," he apologized as we ran down to dinner. I knew Mr. D would punish us if we were late on our first night back, and I absolutely didn't want that.

"By the way," Percy added, "did you want to be captain for capture the flag tomorrow? Thalia and I argued about that and we thought you'd do a better job than us co-captaining."

"Thank you, Percy, but I really don't think I can muster up the leadership skills right now. I've got too much on my mind."

"Okay, if you're sure. I know what you're thinking, but we're going to find Annabeth and Renee, I promise."

"Find them?" Crap, I'd forgotten Ruby was there. "I thought you said they were on their way."

Percy looked stricken. "You didn't tell them?"

"There's no point in worrying them, especially as young as Ruby and her sister are, and as new," I argued.

"Nico's only a year older, and he _saw_ what happened. They're going to have to find out eventually."

Ruby glared at me. "What happened?" She demanded. "If something happened, why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Ruby, Annabeth and Renee have been kidnapped. There was a manticore at the school during our rescue mission, and during our fighting they attacked too soon. The Hunters shot, and the manticore fell. But Artemis says they're still alive."

"Clara," Ruby said, reaching for my hand, "I'm so sorry. I'm here for you, too. And you'll find her."

I hugged her, feeling a greater sense of family than I ever had with anyone other than Renee.

* * *

Dinner was a pretty boring affair. I tried to make small talk with my half-siblings, and not think about how lonely Percy and Thalia must have been at their tables by themselves. The only people who actually looked happy were the Hunters at the Artemis table.

Quickly enough, it was over, and I hurried back to cabin, Ruby and Diamond at my heels. "Do you wanna play cards before bed?" Ruby asked. The nine-year-old was full of energy, but I was the complete opposite.

"Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow, okay?"

Ruby hung her head. "Can I at least show you the new pegasus deck that Silena gave me for my birthday?"

"Okay."

"Look at it!" She demanded, pulling it out of her bag and beaming.

"Oh wow. Did Silena make that?" The cards were intricately designed with golden pegasi sporting glittering, silver wings. They looked almost as if they would fly right off the page. The numbers were carefully outlined in pink glitter as well.

Ruby nodded, beaming proudly. "She made one for Di as well, look!" Diamond's had realistic-looking dragons made from lime-green glitter.

"Those are amazing. We can definitely play soon, okay?"

Ruby nodded, and I could tell she was already sleepy. Thank the gods.

Fortunately, I fell asleep almost immediately. Unfortunately, I saw Renee and Annabeth as soon as I closed my eyes.

* * *

They were in an area surrounded by complete darkness, and my first thought was that it could have been the Chamber of Secrets, even though that was impossible. And I barely even knew what that place _looked_ like, having only been conscious there for a few minutes.

Renee and Annabeth leaned against each other, gasping for breath as they struggled up the hill. Old Greek architecture crumbled around us, as if something had just blasted through some runes.

"Thorn!" Annabeth called, "where are you?"

"Shhh!" Renee moaned. "Stay unnoticed. I'll handle any negotiations." She checked her pocket to make sure my wand was still there, and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt it. Unfortunately, I didn't think she knew of any good spells for the moment.

"Lumos," she muttered, sort of as an afterthought. A beam of light wavered from wand, and I glanced around.

Annabeth gasped. "Luke!" She whispered, and indeed, I could see him too. But there was something very unlike Luke about him, maybe in the way he didn't smile at all.

Renee shook her head, but Annabeth moved forward anyway. "He's in pain!" She breathed.

"Annabeth! Help me!"

"It's a trap," Renee whispered. I, too, sensed something was off.

Annabeth reached out as if to touch Luke's face, but at the last minute, she hesitated.

"What happened?" She asked cautiously, her voice louder.

"They left me here!" The voice sounded just slightly different from Luke's, and Renee's eyes narrowed.

"Why should we help you?" Renee asked. Annabeth looked hurt and betrayed, and she was very wise to let Renee speak for her.

"You shouldn't. I've been terrible to you," Luke said sincerely. "But if you don't help me, I'll die."

 _Let him die_ , a voice rang in my head. To my horror, I realized it was Percy's, and that could only mean one thing: he was having this dream too.

Annabeth reached out her hand once more, oblivious to Renee's muttering in the background. I couldn't see Luke's ailment, only that something was holding him down. I was fairly certain it was a trap, but Luke grabbed Annabeth's hand.

As soon as he clambered up, I noticed his face change into a different form. He grew taller, his hair lengthened and darkened, and his sneer became more pronounced.

"Thanks," Morgana Fletcher said, smirking as she walked away. "I knew I could count on you."

Renee reached into her other pocket and pulled out a ballpoint pen. "Morgana Fletcher," she said, struggling under an invisible weight. "Lovely. Now, you have three seconds to tell me what's going on before I uncap this pen and come after you. One….two…."

"Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."

The Slytherin shape-shifter disappeared into the darkness, and Annabeth screamed in frustration.

The dream faded, and I woke up with a start. It was midnight, and I knew three things: Percy had seen the dream too, my friends were in danger, and Kaylee and Luke were responsible.

* * *

I woke up to a pounding at my door. "Clara, you up?"

"Now I am," I grumbled, pulling my hair into a messy bun. I slipped on my CHB T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from my former elementary school. Seriously, though, who names a school's mascot, "The Mighty Poodles?"

I stepped outside, blinking at the bright winter sun. "Percy, what time even is it?"

"Seven thirty," he shrugged.

"I'm going to have to deal with a grumpy Fiona who didn't get her beauty sleep, but this must be more important. It's about the dream, isn't it?"

"So it's true then. You saw it too?"

I nodded grimly. "We've gotta talk to Chiron. Come on, Seaweed Brain."

I pulled Percy to his feet, and we ran to the Big House. Chiron, however, was out running errands for the camp, so we decided to go and talk to Grover and Juniper instead.

"What could it mean?" Juniper mused.

"After what Zoё dreamed last night-" Grover started.

"What's she got to do with it? She had a dream like that?" Percy asked hurriedly.

"I don't really know. She came to the big house at about three in the morning, demanding to talk to Chiron. She look really panicked."

I narrowed my eyes. "Wait, how do you know this exactly?"

Grover blushed, deliberately not looking at Juniper. "Um, I was sort of camped outside of the Artemis cabin last night."

Juniper frowned slightly and inched closer to me. "What for?"

Grover didn't catch the hurt in her words and kept on talking. "I wanted to, you know, be near them…."

Percy laughed nervously. "You're a stalker with hooves!"

"Am not! Anyway, I followed her to the Big House. I hid in a bush where I watched the whole thing. She got really upset when Argus didn't let her in. It was kind of a dangerous scene to witness."

Percy and I exchanged a glance. Argus was a big blond dude with eyes over his body, the security for the camp. I wouldn't want to place bets on a fight between him and Zoё Nightshade.

"Well, they argued for a while, but eventually Chiron came out with his horse tail in curlers and-"

Percy and I giggled. "He wears curlers in his tail?" I asked incredulously.

Juniper nodded, regaining her normal self. "I've seen it once or twice."

"What did she say?" I asked, turning back to the matter at hand.

"I didn't catch everything, she starts talking really old-fashioned when she's upset. But she said something about Artemis being in trouble and needing the Hunters. She told Chiron they needed permission to leave the camp immediately."

"How could an immortal goddess be in trouble?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. Anyway, Chiron reminded her that they were under orders from Artemis to stay there until they heard more from her, but she said, 'How can we get orders from Artemis if Artemis is lost?'"

"Lost? As in, she needs directions?"

We all looked at Percy, but he didn't seem to be joking.

"No," Grover confirmed. "I think she means taken. Kidnapped."

"But who could kidnap a goddess?" I wondered aloud.

"Well, I mean, it happened to Persephone," Grover said plainly.

"Well, yeah, but she's like, the goddess of _flowers_."

"Springtime," Grover said, looking affronted.

"But Artemis is far more powerful than her," I interjected. "Who would be powerful enough to take her? And why?"

"Well, there's Kronos, for one." Juniper said.

"But he can't be that powerful yet," I argued.

"I think we'd know if Kronos was fully reformed," Grover agreed. "The gods would be more worried. But still, it's weird how you two and Zoё had these dreams on the same night. It's almost like…."

"They're connected," Percy muttered. "I need to talk to Zoё."

"Um, Percy, before you do, I found this in Annabeth's backpack. You wondered why the Hunters showed up immediately, but I think they might have been scouting us. I think maybe she was thinking about joining."

Percy stormed off without a word, and I decided to go hang out with Ruby for a few hours.

* * *

Soon enough, it was time for Capture the Flag. Percy looked angry and totally ready to beat the the Hunters, and I felt much the same way. Unfortunately, I knew the odds weren't in our favor.

Both of the teams were small, but nobody was sitting out, despite the fact that I tried to convince the twins to do so. Even Silena, Drew, and Layna were playing.

"We're doing this for Renee," Silena had told them firmly. "Our head counselor. Don't even _try_ to argue."

To further her argument, she had had Beckendorf in the room with her. I was grateful that Renee had her in the Aphrodite cabin. I couldn't imagine what she'd do if it were only girls like Drew and Layna to be stuck with.

"Clara and I can take offense. You take defense." Thalia didn't leave any room for discussion, but Percy looked discouraged. I knew he had had some bad experiences with defense.

"Don't you think with your shield you'd be better at defense?" he asked. I was honestly fine with either, but with offense, I could run on sunbeams. With defense, I could throw them.

"I was thinking it would make a better offense," Thalia protested. "Besides, you've had more practice with defense. And I want Clara because she can run on sunbeams if we need her to."

That was true, but it hadn't been a _good_ experience. But it really wasn't up to me, because I had chosen not to captain. "I'd prefer to do defense, actually," I lied. I wanted to spend more time with Percy, and I wasn't really appreciating Thalia's attitude at the moment.

"Whatever. Just use your sunbeams wisely."

We divided up the teams, Chiron blew his whistle, and we were off.

"Blue team, follow me," Thalia commanded, leading the way to Zeus's Fist.

Percy set Nico, Ruby, and Diamond on guard duty with Beckendorf and the Stoll brothers, figuring they'd be safely out of the way.

"We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia commanded. "Silena, you lead that. Take Laurel, Jason, and Layna, they're good runners."

"Do I have to take _her_?" Silena mouthed to me before nodding. "Got it!"

"I'll lead the main party around to the right and catch them by surprise. Percy, anything to add?"

"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got six guards, three scouts, and Clara and I will be roving. Yell if there's trouble."

"And don't leave your post!" Thalia added forcefully.

"Unless you see a golden opportunity," Percy countered.

Thalia glared. "Just don't leave your post."

"Right, unless-"

"Percy." Thalia touched his shoulder, and he stepped back, wincing. I knew she could give a mean static shock when she wasn't thinking about it.

"Sorry," she said, not sounding it. I knew her attitude was because of Renee and Annabeth, but Percy and I were hurting too, and we weren't like this. "Now, is everybody clear?"

We all nodded, and Silena led her decoy to the left. Thalia's group waited a few minutes before darting off to the right, and Percy and I headed in opposite directions so we could oversee things.

We met up again near the top of Zeus's Fist. Silena's group was leading a group of five or six Hunters in the opposite direction of where Thalia was going, and for a moment it looked like Thalia was home free. But then Percy gave a start, and I realized that Zoë and another group was sneaking up on her. She'd never get to the flag on time, there were too many hunters, but _we_ might.

Percy and I stood up simultaneously. "Can you guys hold down the fort?" I asked, looking to Beckendorf.

Beckendorf snorted. "Of course."

"We're going in," Percy explained.

"Is there a plan?" I asked before he could race ahead.

Percy paused for a moment. "You go hide behind that clump of trees. I'll go to get the flag, and if anything happens, you'll sunbeam to me and go from there. Don't look back!"

I nodded, knowing that if anything happened, I _would_ look back. I was pretty sure Percy knew that, too.

We took off. Without sunbeams, he was slightly faster than me, but we kept a steady pace. We leaped over the creek into enemy territory, and I saw that there was only one guard, and she wasn't looking in our direction.

Percy put up a hand, this is where I would wait.

He sped off, and I heard fighting off to the left in the woods. We had it in the bag.

The guard turned at the last second, and I saw that it was Bianca. I rolled my eyes, she was kind of a jerk for leaving her brother. Then again, I couldn't talk, I left both of my families at least three times a year.

Percy slammed into her and grabbed the flag, yelling, "Sorry!" as he flew past.

He hurdled back to me, but everything looked far too easy. He was ten yards away from Bianca before she managed to yell for help, and then suddenly, _ZIP!_ Something came flying at Percy, and I saw immediately that it was a tripwire shot from an arrow. Percy hurled the flag in my direction, and I immediately called up a sunbeam and sped toward him. However, something slammed into me from behind, and I realized it was Zoe. She had a gold flag in her hands.

From somewhere out in the forest, Chiron's horn sounded. The Hunters had won, and I knew it was our fault.

He appeared seconds later, looking grim and carrying the Stoll brothers on his back. They both looked as if they had taken some nasty hits, and Connor had two arrows sticking out of his helmet like antennae.

"The Hunters win," Chiron announced. "For the eighty-seventh time in a row."

Thalia stormed up to Percy and me. "What in the name of the gods were you two THINKING?"

Percy balled his fists, and I whipped out my wand. "I got the flag, Thalia! I gave it to Clara, and our plan seemed foolproof but then Zoë came flying out of _nowhere_!"

" _Your_ plan? What about our plan as a team? I WAS AT THEIR BASE!" Thalia screamed. "But the flag was gone. If you hadn't butted in, we would have won!"

"You had too many on you," I pointed out.

Thalia turned on me. "Oh, so it's _my_ fault?"

"She didn't say that!" Percy fired back.

"Argh!" Thalia shoved me, sending me five feet back and almost to the creek.

Some of the campers gasped, and I distinctly heard Ruby scream. "Sorry!" Thalia said, turning pale. "I didn't mean to!" She made forward to help me, but Percy reached me first. Because he was close enough to the water, he summoned a ten-foot wave and threw it at her.

"Yeah, well. I didn't mean to either," Percy retorted. He reached out a hand to pull me up, and I immediately threw a sunbeam at Thalia. It wound around her legs, tripping her and sending her sprawling on the ground.

"Enough!" Chiron demanded, but Thalia held out her spear to Percy.

"You want some, Seaweed Brain?"

"Bring it on, Pinecone Face," I said without thinking.

Thalia yelled, and before I even had the chance to summon a sunbeam, a blast of lightning knocked me on the ground. She then rounded on Percy, who was readying an even bigger wave

"That is _enough_!" Chiron demanded again, but none of us listened. I was about to hurtle another sunbeam when something stopped me short. Someone-something was coming out of the forest.

Chiron went white. "This is impossible. She has never left the attic."

But sure enough, the mummy that housed the Oracle was walking toward us. There was a hush, and everyone stared.

She shuffled forward until she was in the center of the circle, turning the snow around her green. Her awful voice hissed inside my head. Apparently everyone could hear it, because a few people were covering their ears.

 _I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo and slayer of the mighty Python._ She glanced at Percy, then turned unmistakably to Zoë Nightshade. _Approach, seeker, and ask_.

Zoë blinked a few times. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened and green mist spewed out. In the mist, there was an image of a mountain, and a girl standing at its barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend an her attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The oracle spoke:

 _Five shall go west to the goddess in chains_

 _One shall be lost in the land without rain_

 _The bane of Olympus shows the trail_

 _Campers and Hunters combined prevail_

 _The Titan's Curse must one withstand_

 _And one shall perish by a parent's hand_

Then the mist swirled and retreated into the Oracle's mouth. She sat on a rock, as still as she had been in the attic, and as if she would stay there forever.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Once again, I'm sorry this was so long. If I hadn't done this all in one chapter, I would have never finished it, so I had to make it really long. The next chapters should be shorter, but they should have much more excitement and OC and/or non-canon action. I'll try to update soon but it's hard with school. However, I'm bursting with so many ideas that I just**_ **have** _**to get them out. I'm so excited for my later developments, especially with the end of**_ _ **Titan's Curse**_ _ **, the end of**_ _ **Prisoner of Azkaban**_ _ **, and I have so many plans for**_ _ **Goblet of Fire**_ _**as well.**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish**_


	49. Thalia Grace, Zoё Nightshade, and Me

_**Hey all. I realized there was a mistake in the last chapter. I said that Renee's wand was left/lost with Annabeth's invisibility cap, but then I said she had it in the dream. I am going to go with my original plan and say she didn't have the wand and that Clara ended up with it. I'm not sure what its purpose will be, maybe Thalia will use it until she can get to Renee, I don't know.**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter, which should be fairly long as well. Thank you.**_

* * *

 **Clara POV**

Percy and I were elected to carry the Oracle of Delphi back up to the Big House. I didn't get why Chiron couldn't just get a cart, but he had his reasons.

"Watch her head!" I gasped as we carried her up the stairs, but _bonk_! It was too late.

"Is she going to be okay?" Percy muttered.

I shrugged. "Um, I'm sure this has happened before, hasn't it?"

Percy and I looked at each other uncomfortably. We heard the storm of feet, and the next moment, Thalia appeared. She grabbed a notepad off the shelf and scribbled something down.

 _Get your butts downstairs now!_

"Why not just say it?" Percy groaned. "You could probably get a pretty good shock in with just your voice."

I shot him a warning glance before politely asking why.

Thalia scribbled furiously. _Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders. Unfortunately, that means you two._

Percy started to say something, but I laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Percy. Let's go."

Percy nodded, glaring at Thalia. She glared back at both of us, and I felt helpless. I'd never asked for this. Suddenly, it dawned on me that Thalia was a daughter of Zeus, meaning that if I was definitely the sidekick, then I could be the one for Thalia _or_ Percy. I gasped, and they both looked at me. I led the way down the stairs without speaking.

The council was held around the ping-pong table in the rec room. Everyone ignored the food that Dionysus had put out, except for Grover, who scooped Cheez Whiz onto crackers and ping-pong balls. Percy and I sat on one end of the table, across from Juniper and Grover. Zoё and Bianca were sitting at one corner, and Thalia was as far away from us as she could possibly be.

"There is no time for talk," Zoё demanded. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately!"

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said vehemently. She looked so different after just a few days with the Hunters. Her hair was braided like Zoё's, and she had a much wider smile. I was glad she was much happier, but I couldn't help feeling bad for Nico. "You heard the prophecy. _Five shall go west to face the goddess in chains._ We can get five Hunters and go!"

Zoё nodded. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find and free her."

"You are missing something, as usual," Thalia snapped. " _Campers and Hunters combined prevail_. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoё pounded her fist on the table. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "No one has said 'thy' in like, three hundred years, Zoё. Get with the times."

" _Yerr_ ," Zoё tried it out. "We do not need _yerr_ help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you _do_ need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they," Dionysus mused. " _One shall be lost. One shall perish_. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail _because_ you try to cooperate?"

I decided then and there that unless it was important instructions for the camp, I was going to completely ignore Dionysus for the rest of my life.

Chiron gave Dionysus a hard glance. "With all due respect, whose side are you on, Mr. D?"

"Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful." I rolled my eyes.

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoё grimaced, but it was clear she could see Thalia had a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh joy, another dull annual meeting." Yep, definitely not listening to Dionysus ever again.

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoё said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council for arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing, and we will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble working together, young lady?" Dionysus demanded.

Zoё didn't miss a beat. "Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D. nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course." Zoe looked across the table at me, giving me a wink. I was surprised, I didn't think she liked any of the campers that much. I gave her a small smile in return.

"Three and two should go," I blurted out. Everyone stared at me. "Three Hunters and two campers. It's more than fair."

"I would prefer to take _all_ the Hunters," Zoё said icily, and the moment we had shared was gone.

"You'll be retracing Lady Artemis's steps," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt she tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy is clear. _The bane of Olympus shows the trail_. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A smaller group is better."

Zoё went paler at the thought of the monster. She picked up a ping-pong racket, studying it as if she was deciding who to whack first. "This monster-the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea who this might be."

Everyone looked at Dionysus, including me. He was flipping through his wine magazine, but when everyone got silent, he glanced up. "Well, don't look at me. I'm a _young_ god, remember? I don't keep track of those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversations." I rolled my eyes.

"Chiron, you don't have any idea, do you?" Percy asked.

"I have many ideas, none of them good. But none of them quite make sense. Typhon or Keto, for instance. But they are sea monsters the size of skyscrapers, and if they were stirring, your father would have already sounded the alarm. I fear this monster must be far more elusive, and even more powerful."

"That sounds like some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. I noticed how he said _you_ and not _we_. Not that I had expected him to volunteer. "It sounds like at least two of the five are going to die."

" _One shall be lost in the land without rain_." Beckendorf said. "I'd stay out of the desert."

There was a muttering of agreement.

"And _the Titan's Curse must one withstand_ ," Silena muttered. "What could that mean?"

Chiron and Zoё exchanged a nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't elaborate.

" _One shall perish by a parent's hand_ ," Grover puzzled. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"

I thought about the prophecy. Some gods wanted to get rid of Percy and Thalia because either of them could make a deathly decision when the time came. I guess that extended to me as well, since I was the accomplice. The three of us locked eyes and shuddered.

"There will be deaths," Chiron decided. "That much we know."

"Oh goody!" Dionysus said. Everyone stared. "Oh, don't mind me. Pinot noir is making a comeback."

"Clara's right," Silena said at last. "Two campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoё said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters! Don't look at me!" She glanced at me. "Oh gods, I'm so stupid, I sound so awful talking about my sister. But I really don't want to."

"It's fine. I get it. You haven't actually had a quest, and this is a big responsibility. The Hunters should decide first. Which three will go?"

"I shall go, of course. And I will take Phoebe, she is out best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Zoё nodded, confused.

"The one who put arrows in my helmet?" Connor asked.

"Yes," Zoё snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "It's just that we have something for her from the camp store." The brothers held up a large T-shirt that read, Artemis the Moon Goddess, Fall Hunting Tour, 2002. "She was admiring it earlier, and it's a collector's item. Would you mind giving it to her?"

I knew the Stolls were up to something, but Zoё apparently didn't. She sighed and took the shirt. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I also wish Bianca to go."

Bianca looked stunned. "Me? But I'm so new. I wouldn't know what I was doing."

"You will do fine," Zoё insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

I knew how Bianca was feeling. My first quest when I was eleven had been so nerve wracking, and the only object of that one had been to get Clarisse, Renee, and I to accept each other. This time, there were lives at stake.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he nearly knocked the table over, sending Cheez Whiz and ping-pong balls flying everywhere. "Anything for Lady Artemis!"

"I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood. I would much rather take the daughter of the sun, if she would oblige."

Everyone turned to me again. "Of course," I said. I was surprised, but not completely. From day one, she had seemed to trust me more than any other camper. Maybe it was a Hufflepuff thing. "Renee and I have known each other forever. I wouldn't dream of not going."

Zoё nodded. "And for the second camper?"

"I'll go," Thalia said, rushedly.

I looked at Percy and saw his face change from nervous to upset. "Whoa, wait, I want to go too!"

Thalia and I looked at each other. I knew how close she was to Renee and Annabeth. Neither of us were willing to give up our spots.

"Absolutely not. He is a boy. I will not have my Hunters traveling with a boy."

"You traveled here with me," Percy protested.

"That was on a short-term and emergency basis."

"I have to go. I _have_ to be on this quest!"

"Why?" Zoё asked, scrutinizing Percy. "Because of thy friend Annabeth? Thalia is close to her too, and if she can be found with our goddess then she is safe with us."

"No! I mean, that, but I also feel like I'm supposed to go, you know?"

I placed an arm on Percy's shoulder. "Percy. The quest is for Artemis. Her Hunters should be able to choose their companions. I'm sorry."

* * *

The hamburgers that night at dinner were delicious, but I couldn't help looking over at the empty Poseidon table. Percy hadn't been seen since the counselor meeting, and I was worried about him.

Fiona was glaring at me from across the table. "You're going to leave me to be head counselor again as the oldest person here. I can't do that! I've only been here a few months, and Will told me that when you came you would take care of things." It was true, early in September I had gotten a letter that Will was leaving because he had to take care of his little twin brother and sister. He had a better relationship with his mother and stepfather than most of my demigod friends, and he had easily agreed to help babysit the toddlers. "I trust you," he had said. He had also left Fiona's address and told me to contact her at Camp Half Blood using Dusk if there was ever an issue, but I had forgotten. Camp had not served her well, although she did seem to have grown close to Austin and some of the other campers.

I thought for a moment, then glanced at Ruby. She was only nine, but she knew better than anyone else in the cabin how things worked. "Ruby," I whispered.

"You want me to do it?" Ruby was taken aback.

"Just until I get back. Consider yourself third-in-command."

"What about for the rest of the year?"

"When I get back, we'll talk more about this cabin. It'll just be a week."

"But what if you don't come back?" Diamond mumbled.

"What?"

"Two of you are going to die. I don't question my sister's right to lead for a few days, but what if the conversation never happens?"

"Oh, Di, come here." I wrapped the girl in a hug. "If anything happens, I'll have Thalia IM Will immediately."

"That's not it," Diamond whispered. "What if we lose _you_?"

I was touched, but I wouldn't show the rest of the cabin that I was also worried.

"It'll be okay," I whispered.

* * *

After dinner, Chiron and I went to go talk to Percy. I brought him a hamburger from dinner, knowing he hadn't eaten and if he wasn't hungry then, he definitely would be later.

"I'm so sorry, Percy," I said. "I hadn't realized the Hunters wouldn't let you go. And I didn't expect Thalia to volunteer either."

"Of course she would," he muttered.

"Percy," Chiron said softly. "I don't pretend to understand prophecies."

"Yeah, well, that's because they don't make any sense," Percy snapped.

I laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know," I whispered.

Chiron gazed at Percy's gurgling fountain. "Thalia would not have been my first choice to go on this quest," he went on. "She's too impetuous, and she often acts without thinking. She's too sure of herself."

"Would you have chosen me?" Percy asked.

I knew the answer before Chiron opened his mouth. "Frankly, no. The two of you are far too much alike."

"Thanks a lot."

Chiron smiled. "The difference is that you are less sure of yourself than Thalia. That could be good or bad. But one thing is certain: both of you together would be a dangerous thing."

"We could handle it."

"Like you handled it at the creek this afternoon?"

Percy glanced at me. "You haven't said anything about Clara. Would _she_ have been your top pick? She was there tonight too."

"Clara, forgive me," Chiron said, a small smile playing on his lips. "but you seem to be the only camper that Zoё can tolerate. If there had been any sort of decision to be made, I would have insisted you go."

"I messed up at the creek too," I argued. "Now, I'm fine with Zoё, but Thalia won't work with me."

"Clara, do you remember our discussion last summer, about hidden talents?"

"Yes?" I had no idea where this was going.

"Your sunbeams are what makes you the accomplice of the Great Prophecy. But there is something else too. Clara, you can see both sides of things more than anyone I've ever met. You get people to forgive you, and you understand the concept of forgiveness. This can make you a powerful ally, and though nobody's thought about it this way, a powerful adversary as well."

"With all due respect, I believe that's just a Hufflepuff thing," I mumbled.

"I highly doubt that. Pomona was never this way, and from what Renee's told me, some of your housemates haven't exactly been like that either."

"So you think….what?"

"I think you'll know what to do to keep Zoё and Thalia from causing each other any harm. _And_ , I think you will show yourself to be a leader in this quest."

"What do you want me to do?" Percy asked, but he wasn't looking at Chiron.

I paused for a second. I had never seen myself as a leader before, that was always Renee. Now Chiron was looking to me to save this quest and Annabeth and Renee, and Percy was looking to me for immediate answers.

"Percy," Chiron answered, and I was grateful for being spared the response. "Call your mother, tell her you'll be coming home for the holidays. Here's a drachma, and here's three for you, Clara. I want you to call the Bradleys and Pomona, of course, but I also want you to call any friend at the school who you believe has need of knowing what is happening. I know you and Renee both have some very close confidants there."

I nodded. Chiron started toward the door, but stopped before he walked out. "Just for the record, I would have volunteered for this quest if it wasn't for that last line."

Neither of us needed to ask what that meant. Chiron's father was Kronos, and there would be no doubt about who would perish by a parent's hand if Chiron was a quest member.

"Do you know what this Titan's curse is?" I blurted.

Chiron's face darkened, and he made a claw over his heart and pushed outward, an ancient gesture for warding off evil. "Let us hope I am wrong. And Percy? Your time will come."

Percy nodded, and Chiron left.

I looked at Percy. "You mind if I go first?" I held up a sunbeam to make a rainbow.

"Sure, I'd prefer to be alone when I call anyway." Something about the way he said that made me slightly suspicious, but I just nodded. "Do you mind if I stay in the room?"

"Not at all, I could use the company. And my mortal parents will need all the convincing they can get."

I threw the coin into the fountain. "Annette and Jonathan Bradley, 943, 3rd and 94th, apartment 349."

"How do you remember all that?" Percy asked in awe. I shrugged, thinking of Snape. If there was one thing that had come out of his teaching our class one time, it was that it _did_ help me remember my address better.

"Clara?" It was David.

"Hey, are Mom and Dad there?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes….no. Get Mom and Dad, please."

"Will do." The message went blank for a moment, and then the three of them appeared.

"Clara, what happened?" Annette asked quickly. "We called Sally, but she said Percy's always been away this long before, and not to worry. I see she was right that you're at camp. But where's Renee?" I'd forgotten how fast she spoke when she was worried.

"Are you guys sitting down?" Percy asked quietly.

"Sitting down? Clara, what's going on?" John Bradley asked, clearly concerned.

"Renee's gone. Our rescue mission went horribly, and now I'm part of a quest to go find her!"

"Gone?" David gasped. "What-"

"There was a monster at the school. He took her and Annabeth, I think they're somewhere west of here. That's what the prophecy said."

"And I suppose this _quest_ isn't very dangerous?"

Percy and I exchanged a glance. "And if it were?" I said finally. "This is Renee's life we're talking about, you do understand this?"

"Mom," David whispered. "She _has_ to do this. She lives on her own for half the year, I think we can trust her to make her own decisions."

Annette and John looked at each other, and I stared admirably at my brother. I hadn't realized David would completely take my side on this. "Thank you," I whispered.

"It's your life, little sis. Go out and do what you need to do."

"Goodbye, Clara, and best of luck to you," Mrs. Bradley said. I waved my hand over the message, and the old house disappeared.

"Who next?" Percy asked.

"Sprout. She'll need to know before anyone else."

"The child of Demeter, right?"

"That's the one.

"Pomona Sprout at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" I said tentatively, throwing another coin at the fountain.

Sprout looked as if she was grading papers in her office. "Professor?" She didn't seem to hear me.

"Professor Sprout?"

She turned and adjusted her glasses. " _Clara_?"

"Yes, Professor, it's me."

She stared for a second. "Well, well. I haven't gotten an Iris Message in quite some time." Her face suddenly turned ashen. "But I don't believe you're calling just to say hi, are you? I'm sorry Clara, but if it's about Black, I don't know anything else, aside from what I told Renee. Oh dear, she's not still mad at me, is she?"

"I doubt it. Listen, Sprout, Renee's been taken by a Manticore, along with our friend Annabeth. Chiron wanted me to inform you that I'm going on a quest with Thalia and some of the Hunters to find them. Well, actually, to find Lady Artemis; she's gone missing too. But I have a feeling they're in the same place." I realized I had been speaking really quickly.

Sprout looked stricken. "I had imagined there might be something like this. I almost hoped you wouldn't come to camp this break, I can tell something is happening."

I nodded slowly. "Tyson said the same thing when we talked to him yesterday," I said. Percy cleared his throat, and I remembered whose cabin I was in. "Oh, Professor, this is Percy. Percy Jackson."

A small smile spread across Sprout's face. "Ah, the famous Percy Jackson. I've heard so much about you from Chiron and the girls. I am so glad I finally get to meet you."

Percy blushed. "Thank you."

"Be careful, you two. Bring back our Slytherin princess, and make sure you come back too. I know how dangerous quests can be."

"Thank you, Professor. We will."

Sprout sighed. "Clara, it's about time you knew this: there's more to Renee Sanderson than meets the eye. Have you ever noticed how good she is at spells, without really even trying?"

Percy and I looked at each other. Neither of us _had_ noticed.

"She has a knack for Latin," Sprout continued. "It's quite odd, really. But I hope it helps her and Annabeth, when she's in distress."

I gulped. "Professor, she doesn't have her wand. It was dropped when she was taken. I have it."

Sprout frowned. "Oh, dear. Well, I guess that means you'll be on your own in terms of magic. Always have a few drachmas in your bag, Clara. If you need anything at all, call me. If I can't help you, I'll get Minerva or Remus-er, that's McGonagall and Lupin to you-to help. Although Lupin, he's, well, he's going through some tough times right now, so you might have to rely on the expertise of two old women instead."

I nodded, remembering what Hermione and I had figured out. I didn't figure Sprout would want to know that I knew, though.

"Good luck, and may the gods be with you," Sprout whispered. "Teachers aren't supposed to have favorites, Clara, but I think you understand that the two of you are mine."

I nodded and tried to say something, but I was lost for words. Finally, I muttered, "Can you tell Harry I'm about to call? Chiron said to tell him as well as my parents and you."

"Of course, dear. I can't deny his heart's in the right place, even if he is a bit scatterbrained, that centaur. You'll do great."

"Thank you. I'll see you in January," I said more confidently than I felt.

I waved my hand over the image, and my head-of-House's comfortable, earthy office disappeared. I wished I could embrace Sprout through the Iris Message, but that was impossible.

I collapsed on Percy's spare bed, tears sparkling in my eyes. Percy came over to me right away.

"You're going to make it through," he encouraged. "You'll see her again, and Renee, and me. Come on. Chiron gave you another coin, you _need_ to use it. Do you think Harry's had his warning by now?"

I gave a small nod, reaching into my pocket for the third drachma. Percy gave me his hand and pulled me up off the bed.

I chucked the coin at the water, holding up my hand once again to make a sunbeam. "Harry Potter in Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Harry and Ron seemed to be playing Wizard's chess. Hermione sat off to the side, stroking Crookshanks and seeming to avoid Ron at all costs. I wanted to talk to her alone, but I knew I had to talk to Harry first.

"Harry," I whispered.

Harry glanced around, and I could tell Sprout had notified him. "Clara, is that you?"

"Yeah. I'm over by the…." I trailed off, realizing I couldn't actually see anything that would be a clear landmark.

Hermione saw me first. "Over by the portrait of Florence Nightingale, Harry. Clara, how are you?"

"I'm….well, you guys need to listen, okay?" My friends could obviously hear the distress in my voice. "Renee's been kidnapped," I said in a rush. "Along with my friend Annabeth and the goddess Artemis."

"How can a goddess be kidnapped?" Hermione asked in alarm. Harry and Ron looked blankly at her.

"Listen, Hermione, things are about as normal in the demigod world as they are in the wizarding world. I mean, no escaped felons or anything, but we're preparing for a war here too."

Hermione nodded. Harry started to speak, but Hermione put up her hand. "I'll explain this Greek mythology stuff later, okay? Clara, tell me what you need me to do."

"Well…." I trailed off. I really _didn't_ know why Chiron had had me call. "I guess I'm just telling you because, well, we might not come back from this. I want you guys to know that." My voice wavered.

"Clara, no," said Percy firmly. "We already discussed this. You and Renee are coming back, even if I have to drag you up from the Underworld myself!"

"The Underworld?" Hermione gasped. "You mean, like, you could die?" She was pale, and Ron and Harry were avoiding my gaze.

"She's not going to," Percy said forcefully.

"Percy-"

"You're the accomplice of the Great Prophecy," Percy protested.

"Great Prophecy? Clara, what are you not telling us?" Ron demanded.

"Look, I'll explain everything when I get back, okay?"

Harry looked me in the eye for the first time during the conversation. "Good luck, Clara. You're going to make it work. We believe in you. You're so strong, _and_ you have sunbeams."

I bowed my head. "Thank you, Harry. I can see why Renee thinks you're such a good friend."

"You'll call if you need us?" Hermione asked.

"Of course."

"You'll make it through, Clara. Best of luck to you."

"Thank you so much, guys. I promise we'll tell you everything when we get back."

I waved my hand over the message and a sense of hope surged through me. I was grateful to have the golden trio at Hogwarts.

* * *

That night, I couldn't sleep. I didn't know whether it was because I was avoiding the dreams, or if it was simply my anticipation and anxiety for the next day, but the relaxation wouldn't come. It was really too bad, because I had no idea when I would next get to sleep in a bed.

Thalia rapped on my door around six thirty. My father was barely pulling his sun chariot up, and there was frost on the window.

I walked over to Ruby's bed and tapped her on the shoulder. "Ruby?" I whispered.

The little girl embraced me. "Good luck, sister. I love you. I know it will be fine, and I'll take good care of the cabin. Be _sure_ to call me when you're coming back."

I admired her tough innocence. "I love you too, Ruby," I said before stumbling out into the cold.

Thalia looked dressed to kill. She wore a jean jacket over one of her many skull shirts and black jeans, and she had dyed a streak of pink in her hair, just hanging over her left eye.

"Come on," she said roughly, and I could tell she still wasn't over the events of the previous night.

"Thalia," I said quietly, "I'm really sorry. I don't want to let this come between us. This is for Renee and Annabeth after all."

Thalia bowed her head solemnly. "I'm so worried about them, Clara. Annabeth's like my little sister, and Renee is, well-"

I never heard what Renee was to Thalia, because Zoё came storming up to us. "Come on! We have been waiting for hours!"

"It was five minutes, Zoё," Thalia grumbled. "I went to get Clara _five minutes_ ago."

"We cannot waste time!" Zoё glared, as if daring us to contradict her.

"Where's Argus?" I asked, noticing the van.

"Argus will not be taking us. We will not travel in the company of men!"

Thalia looked at each other and rolled our eyes. "Like you could do any better," Thalia snapped.

"You doubt me?" Zoё asked menacingly.

"Not a bit," I said before Thalia could respond. "But where's Phoebe?"

"Get in. We will tell you on the way. We cannot waste any more time!"

I clambered into the back of the van next to Thalia without another word. It didn't appear that I would ever be able to make peace between Thalia and Zoё any time soon, or that I'd be able to be friends-or even _friendly_ -with both of them any time soon.

"So," Zoё said once we were settled in with our bags comfortably in the back, "Those brothers, those-what do you call them, _Stolls_ -they poisoned the shirt they pretended was a gift for Phoebe. With centaur blood, in fact."

Thalia and I exchanged a glance. We had suspected something along those lines.

"Right," I muttered. "Centaur blood, that will cause a huge rash, correct?"

"Yeah," Bianca said. "So, we're just going to consider she was the one lost in the land without rain. You know, because camp has those magical borders." She sounded uneasy and skeptical.

I nodded slowly and realized that I was fighting sleep.

"Rest, Clarissa. You're going to need it."

My first question was how Zoё knew my full name, and then I wondered how she could sense that I was tired. And why was she even being nice to me, anyway? But, I decided to take her advice.

* * *

When I woke up, the sun was shining brightly on the winter snow. I had no idea where we were, but it didn't look like New York.

"Where are we?" I mumbled groggily.

"Maryland, I think. Zoё drives like a crazy person. But we're at a rest stop now. I'm going to convince her to let me drive."

"Good luck with that." I did not think Thalia was going to succeed in that one.

"Oh, and Clara, Zoё isn't sure where we should go next. I think it might be time you tell her-"

"No way! Thalia, could you imagine what Renee would say? There are just three students at Hogwarts who know about this, and only you; Will; Silena; Annabeth; Percy; and the twins know about it here. I can't do that!" I was whispering, but Zoё and Bianca were deep in conversation about something anyway, so it didn't matter.

"Let's get some snacks," Thalia sighed, nearly pulling me out of the van.

"Zoё, Bianca, we'll be right back. You guys want anything?"

"I'll take a cherry coke," Bianca said, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Tony and how he'd said that exact same thing as we burst out of the fireplace….three days ago.

"Get some chocolate, please, Clarissa, I've grown a taste for it recently," Zoё said. "We can meet you in the parking lot in a few minutes."

There it was, my full name again. I stared into space for a second.

"Come on," Thalia snapped.

We walked up to the store. "Clara," Thalia said. "Do you know any sort of locator spell?"

"I packed a few of my spellbooks. I can do a quick search spell and find one, I guess."

"You should do that. And Clara, as much as I don't like it, as much as I don't like working with Zoё in general, how else do you plan on doing this if she and Bianca _can't_ know?"

"Thalia, we're doing this for Renee. And she's super, super protective of our identity. If I told _Zoё_ , she'd kill me."

"Clara, you remember that she's never met Zoё, right? I mean, she's like me, so she'll probably hate her, but still. If it's for us as a whole…."

"What kind of chocolate do you think Zoё wants?" I changed the subject quickly. Thalia was right, but I still couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Something good, without nuts. Check if they have Dove. But seriously, Clara. Don't change the subject."

"I doubt they have Dove, Thalia, this is a gas station."

"Whatever. Just please, Clara. Renee will understand."

"Give me a minute." I sped toward the bathroom, resisting the urge to sunbeam there. I needed time to think about it.

On one hand, Thalia was right. On the other hand, the wizard world was sacred. But I didn't actually think I would be able to get away with _not_ telling her. I would have to use spells throughout our quest, and I'd rather be honest and have Zoё trust me than be mysterious and run the risk of failing to find Artemis and Renee.

As for Renee, well, even though she'd be mad, it was a mark of Thalia's devotion to her and Annabeth that she was encouraging me to do it. I knew she trusted the Hunters even less than I did.

I splashed some water over my face. What would happen if I were to IM Renee through this gas station water? Would I be able to talk to her? Or would the monsters trace our signal? I decided that letting Zoё and Bianca in on the wizard world might not be such a big risk after all when you consider the alternatives.

I walked back through the candy aisle, picking up a Hershey's Dark bar for Zoё and a Milky Way Midnight for myself. I met Thalia at the checkout line. "I'll do it," I whispered.

"I knew you'd come around. Now, go pay for that candy, and then let's go. I don't like the feel of this place." Thalia glanced around, but didn't indicate what was making her nervous.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I was supposed to make this longer, but I didn't. I have no idea when I last updated, but here you go. I'm hoping to get at least another chapter in August, but I'm really busy over the summer until then.**_

 _ **If you like the**_ **5th Wave** _**series by Rick Yancey, please check out my story,**_ _ **The 6th Wave**_ _ **. If you've read and enjoyed**_ **Every Day** _**by David Levithan, you can read my story**_ _ **Secrets of Connection**_ _**for that. If you like the female**_ **Ghostbusters** _**that came out last year, check out my Harry Potter combo,**_ _ **Ghost of Vengeance**_ _ **, and if you like**_ **The Princess Bride** _**movie, I have a combo for that too at**_ _ **The Two Loves of Olympe Maxime**_ _ **. If you like m/m slash, I have a fic for that too from Ron Weasley's perspective. It's called**_ _ **Secret Gryffindor Love**_ _ **.**_

 _ **Please read these stories, as well as this one, and please, please, PLEASE review. I could always use feedback. Thank you.**_

 _ **~Hufflepufferfish (for now)**_


	50. Unwelcome Guests

_**A/N: I'm really trying to update more. I hope you enjoy this. I think I might be talking to one person lol love you Ana.**_

* * *

 **Clara POV**

"Thalia, I got the candy. Let's go."

No response. I looked around. "Thalia?" She had been right with me until a minute ago.

"Clara," I heard her whisper. "We need to get out of here. _Now_!" I whipped around. Her face had gone white. She was pointing at something on the floor. "Snakes are never a good sign."

"Snakes?"

Thalia glanced at the bathroom. "Sunbeam. Now!"

I had no idea what Thalia needed, but I held one at the ready. A cashier wearing a flowered hat came out of the room.

"What can I help you with, my dearsss?" I couldn't place her accent, but it was thick.

"I, uh, we were just leaving," Thalia stammered. I couldn't breathe. Her eyes were so mesmerizing.

"Not sso fassst, what'sss the hurry? I can ssupply you with a full coursssse meal, for free, my dearsss."

"Cover your eyes!" Thalia yelled, and then I realized. I hurled the sunbeam at Medusa, but she flicked it away as if it was nothing.

I had my wand out in the blink of an eye. _Keep her distracted, Clara._ "Aguamenti!"

Water flew towards her hat. Medusa dodged, and I heard the door open. "Zoё!" I screamed. "Bianca! Get down!"

"What's taking you so long, anyway?" Zoё snapped, not understanding.

"Cover your eyes!" Thalia shouted.

Gods, I could really use Renee's proficiency for Latin and spells right now. _Would turning the snake "hair" to antlers help or harm? What about making her bald? Would that set the snakes loose and harm_ more _people? Would changing the color and style help? No, that wouldn't do anything. Fire might help, but no, what we really need is a mirror. Renee, how in Hades do I conjure one of those!?_

Thalia thought I'd frozen up. _What was the mirror spell? I could really use an iPhone right now. Siri, what's "mirror" in Latin?_ All I could think of was _Aguamenti. Aguamenti aguamenti aguamenti!_ "Aguamenti!" I yelled again, this time out of frustration.

Medusa laughed. "Your ssilly water sspell will never get to me, my dear." She started to pull back her hat

"Water," Zoё mumbled in awe. "What happens when water freezes, Clara?"

Zoё was brilliant. Bianca was already racing to the thermostat. "Make it as cold as it goes, Bianca!" I shouted. Thalia raced outside, presumably to grab snow, and Zoё screamed.

"Clara! To thy left!" She threw a hand over her eyes, and I did the same. "Aguamenti!"

Thalia came back, her arms full of snow. She threw it down, and Bianca cranked the temperature all the way to the lowest it could go. "Aguamenti!"

This time it worked. The stream of water turned into a stream of ice. I threw it to Zoё, who was between me and Medusa. She ran behind a wall while the gorgon was focused on Bianca.

"Hey ugly! Over here!"

"Yesss, Zoё Nightshade, asss ssoon as I get Bianca di Angelo to come out of her hiding sspot."

"Oh no you don't!" I fired an arrow at Medusa, and she turned. It was just long enough for Zoё to flash the ice at her. Medusa gasped, and she died with her mouth open.

"Will you do the honors, Thalia? None of the rest of us have swords."

Thalia slashed off the gorgon's head, hands shaking.

"We have to go," Zoё muttered. "They have our scent now. They know we are here. But you _must_ tell me what is going on. You got the chocolate?"

I nodded, ready to throw it at her. She _had_ helped me, but she was still being a jerk.

* * *

"I'm a witch," I muttered. "I can perform….sorcery and magic and stuff."

Zoё had her foot pressed to the pedal as if it was her life (then again, we had just met Medusa, so it probably was). Thalia was rummaging in my suitcase, looking for the right spellbook. Bianca just sat there looking numb.

"Like Circe." Zoё said it with a shudder, but it wasn't a question.

"No, you brat!"

"Thalia, calm down. It's not her fault she doesn't understand. You had a hard time with this, too."

"You explain it then."

"That's what I'm doing. Please just find the stupid book." Thalia was starting to get on even my nerves.

"Whatever."

"It's not exactly like Circe," I went on. "She's, well, immortal. More so than even you, I think. We're not, and they put us through school. To learn to control it, I mean." I saw her shoulders relax somewhat. "Our spells are real and based on Latin. I've learned some, but I won't really have them until I'm older. There are laws that keep me from using these spells, but because I wasn't born in the United States, I don't have to follow them here."

"You have problems," Zoё told me.

"Says the three-thousand-year-old teenager," Thalia snapped. "Is this the one, Clara? Spells to Ease the World?"

"Should be. And please, try to be civil."

Thalia grimaced. "Fine."

I pulled out my wand and thumbed through the book until I found the right spell. " _Mea via_ ," I muttered. Wizards had found that when a spell didn't work, it was often better to just say the meaning in Latin. "Set course for DC, Zoё."

"I don't like this," Zoё snapped back at me. "The prophecy said _west_. I don't care about your witchcraft, Sunny."

"Honestly, I prefer Miss Sunshine. And I think you're getting tired. Why don't you let Thalia drive for a while?"

"You challenge my skills and think that _scullion_ would be better?"

"No, I just-"

"Oh, you're calling _me_ a scullion? What the _heck_ is a scullion?"

"Guys, please, not now. Just, Zoё, as long as you can drive safely."

"She's gonna get us arrested," Thalia muttered.

"I've been driving since automobiles were invented," Zoё countered.

Even from my position in the back, Bianca looked uncomfortable. "DC," she murmured. "Nico and I used to live there. That's strange. I'd….I'd forgotten."

I raised my eyebrows. We all munched on our snacks and I tried to sleep again until we reached DC.

* * *

Zoё looked incredulous. "The rocket museum, Clarissa? This is no time for tourist stops!"

"It's called the Air and Space museum, and we need to get warm. Figure out our next plan. I don't care about the museum itself, Zoё, but I want a public place where we're less likely to have another Medusa." Also, although I didn't want to worry them, I was pretty sure we were being followed. I thought a regular touristy stop might throw our enemies off the trail.

"Fine," Zoё grumbled, but I could tell she was at least happy for the heater that greeted her as we walked in.

I pretended to take a real interest in the rockets in front of me. I had to admit, maybe this little detour had been for my peace of mind as much as anything.

As we were walking, Thalia collided with a kid. The Hunters immediately put their bows up, but then I noticed who it was. "Percy?" I asked in shock.

"You! How dare you show thy face here?" Zoё didn't lower her bow.

"I can't believe you, Percy Jackson!" Thalia stormed.

"Um, guys," Bianca muttered. "We've got a bigger problem than whether or not Percy is here."

I heard a crash and then a loud roar. "Run!" I screamed.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well that was a messed up chapter. I didn't really know what I was doing, and it took me too long to write it. The coming chapters will be more interesting.**_

 _ **I'm working on like six different fics right now and I can't even manage one, but I don't care. Better in the summer than in the school year, I guess.**_

 _ **Hey guess what I got to fifty chapters! If only I had that many readers/reviewers. Sigh.**_

 _ **~Celia**_


	51. My Peace Skills Don't Work on Cats

_**A/N: Hey so I changed my name again but hi. My homes are the settings of my three favorite series, so that's what it means. Anyway I suck at updating and it will only get worse with junior year but I'm going to try to get to Bianca's death before school starts (this chapter and another one I guess). Anyway enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I summoned a sunbeam. I had no idea if I would need to use it as a getaway or a weapon, but it was a comfort to have either way.

"Separate on my mark," Zoё called, and Percy gave my hand a quick squeeze before he dove forward left. I sprinted back right. Thalia was slashing her sword and Bianca and Zoё had climbed on top of the Apollo space capsule and were firing arrows. Nothing worked, and everything bounced off the lion's metallic fur.

I hurled sunbeam after sunbeam, all while riding on one. "Take that! And that! And-oh!" The lion had opened his mouth, and a jet of light burned its tongue. He roared in pain.

Percy noticed too, and then he sprinted towards the gift shop. I was perplexed, but I knew he had a plan. He always did.

"No, you stupid _boy_ ," Zoё screamed in frustration. "This is no time for souvenirs!"

"Don't you call my best friend stupid!" I snapped, still flinging sunbeams at the monster. Percy slid back into view with a bunch of silver packets.

"Sunbeam!" He yelled to me. "Now!" I zoomed to him, not trusting his balance or his watery touch enough for him to catch one if I threw it. I could already feel Zoё's glare on my back for wasting one of my _precious sunbeams_. I had a supply that would hold out as long as the sun burned, but she apparently didn't know that. Percy grabbed the sunbeam when I was still a few feet away and shot up towards the beast, silver packets in hand. He'd dropped a few on the floor, so I followed suit. As I picked them up, I realized what they were: space food. Gag-worthy didn't even _begin_ to describe that stuff. The freeze-dried spaghetti dinner I held in my hand would get the lion to open its mouth for sure.

Percy tossed the lion a pack of freeze-dried Neapolitan ice cream, and I followed his lead with the spaghetti.

I looked at the two Hunters, but they didn't need to be told what to do. They had their arrows at the ready. Percy and I scrambled out of their way, doing loops in midair. Zoё said something to Bianca, and then arrows were flying everywhere. Thalia held up Aegis to deflect them from her, and I felt bad for a second that Percy and I had left her on the ground while flinging freeze-dried crap at the animal. Then, however, I remembered that we didn't really have a choice. It's not like we could have said, "Hey, do you want to fling freeze-dried lasagna at our kitty friend over here with us?," especially since she was on the other side of the room.

One of Zoё's arrows hit the lion squarely in the roof of his mouth, and he started to fall. Percy and I dove even farther to our respective sides. The beast crashed to the ground, taking down a few rocket ships on his way.

Chaos ensued. People were running and screaming, and there were security guards everywhere. I zoomed down to Thalia, who despite her shield had been knocked back in the commotion. She was okay, just a little dazed.

Thalia looked at Percy for a moment. "That was an….interesting strategy."

"Hey, it worked," Percy said, shrugging.

Zoё, thankfully, didn't argue.

The lion was melting into the ground the way freshly killed monsters do, and even its pelt was shrinking to the size of a normal lion's.

"Take it," Zoё muttered to Percy.

He looked back at her quizzically. "Isn't that, like, an animal rights violation or something?"

"It is a spoil of war. It is rightly thine."

"So it should be yours. You killed it."

"I believe the space food was of thy mind. Fair is fair, Perseus Jackson. Take the fur."

Percy shrugged and went to collect his prize.

"Confundus," I mumbled, pointing my wand around the room. I could have used a memory charm, but I'd heard those were tricky, and after what happened to Lockhart last year, I didn't want to risk it.

Thalia came up to me. "Good thinking."

"Thanks. We should hurry, though, I doubt it will work for long."

"The security guards are not our biggest worry," Percy pointed out. There was a group of gray men in gray suits across the lawn.

"Who are they?" Bianca asked, confused.

"The General sent them," Percy muttered, and Zoё immediately rounded on him.

"He is here? You saw him? There's no way…." she had gone pale.

"Go," I said to the others. "Percy and I can hold them off."

"No. We're going together."

Percy protested. "But you said-"

"I know what I said. But you're part of this quest now. I don't like it, but there is no changing fate," Zoё said ominously. " _You_ are the fifth quest member. And _we_ are not leaving anyone behind."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, I didn't even make a thousand words without A/N but I really wanted to be done with this chapter and**_ _ **Titan's Curse**_ _**in general. I don't know why it's so hard to write, probably because I have a lot of plans for the rest of**_ _ **Prisoner of Azkaban**_ _**and**_ _ **Goblet of Fire**_ _**and I don't have Renee. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's my own fault for having her go with Annabeth instead of Clara. But I figured Renee had had Clara taken away from her and she worried about her best friend's life too many times, now it was Clara's turn. So yeah, I'm just trying to get through this.**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review. Thanks.**_

 _ **~Celia**_


	52. The Daughter of Hades

_**A/N: Hey all. I'm having so much trouble with motivation for**_ _ **Titan's Curse**_ _ **. I keep thinking about how I want the rest of the series to play out. I have great plans for the rest of**_ _ **Prisoner of Azkaban**_ _ **,**_ _ **Battle of the Labyrinth**_ _ **, and**_ _ **Goblet of Fire**_ _ **, which will end the first book of the Daughters of Darkness series, but I can't deal with**_ _ **Titan's Curse**_ _**for some reason. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.**_

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I was sitting there peacefully, listening to the radio and trying to figure out a word search. Honestly, why Tony had even decided to get me a word search book for my birthday was beyond me, with my dyslexia and all. But maybe that was the reason. Then, I happened to glance skyward.

"Zoё, we have to ditch the van! They've seen us!"

"The girl is right," Zoё muttered with distaste, looking up as well."

"Drive to that tunnel," Bianca said.

"We can't do that, it's a dead end!"

"Just trust me," Bianca pleaded.

Zoё turned the corner. "A Subway station," I mused. "That's brilliant, Bianca."

"Thanks….I just remembered it was here last year because it wasn't when I was a kid."

Her words fell on shocked silence. Finally, Percy said, "No station at all? Bianca, who's the president right now?"

She gave the right answer. I saw what Percy's concern was.

"Who before that?" I asked kindly.

"Um…." Bianca looked scared and confused. "Roosevelt? FDR, I mean?"

Thalia's eyes widened. "Bianca, that was about seventy years ago."

The Huntress gave a nervous laugh. "I'm not that old."

* * *

 **Bianca POV**

We boarded train after train, and I was barely paying attention, even when Zoё and I got our own luxury car on a freight train that seemed to be from some god. I was too lost in thought. Could I somehow be seventy years old and not know it?

 _I am eleven years old. A lawyer pulls me and my brother out of school in DC. "It is no longer safe for you here," he says in the car. We drive west. Nico finds it fascinating but I find it nauseating. On the radio, I hear about war in Europe and Asia. The Germans and the Japanese are fighting with the French and the English. Days later, I hear that Japan bombed a military base in Hawaii. My country is now at war with Japan and Germany._

 _Eventually, we find ourself in Las Vegas. I've seen pictures of it in my books from school. The lawyer takes us to the_ Lotus Casino _. "You will be safe here," the man promises, before driving off._

 _We stay at the hotel for two months. It is an incredibly fun place, and there's every game imaginable. We do inflatable sword fighting and pac-man and everything they have to offer. Everything is free. Everyone seems so happy to be there, but at the same time, there is a sense of wrongness._

 _Within a few days, I have a special request. There is a baby across the hall from me, and she doesn't have other family staying there. They ask me to take care of her. They tell me her name, but I've never been good with names, so I just call her my baby. A week later, she leaves with a man. "Please. I am her uncle. I didn't know she existed, or she wouldn't be here. Please, I must take her with me._ Please _." The guards are reluctant, but I want to let her go. I believe that the man is her uncle._

 _A few weeks later, Nico and I are playing inflatable checkers, and we notice three kids, a girl and two boys who look about our age. They look lost, and they don't stay very long. Only a week, I think. They leave quickly, and my suspicions start to rise. Do Nico and I really belong here?_

 _Two weeks later, a different lawyer comes back. The war is over, he says. We will now go to a boarding school in Maine._

Zoё brought me out of my stupor. "We're here. This is as far as the train will take us."

* * *

We were in a town called Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Zoё went to find snacks, while Thalia checked around the shops to see if there was a way out. I wasn't exactly comfortable waiting with Clara and Percy, but I made the best of it.

Clara spoke first. I was still a little wary of her being a witch. "So, how do you like being a hunter?"

I felt nervous to say that I loved it. It didn't make me happy, exactly, because Lady Artemis was gone. I didn't want them to know how much I had wanted to leave Nico behind and have my own friends. I felt kind of weird about the whole situation.

"You're not still mad at me for joining?" I clarified.

"Nah," Percy said. "As long as you're happy."

"I'm not sure 'happy' is the right word with Lady Artemis gone. But I feel, somehow….calmer. Everything seems to have slowed down around me. I guess that's the immortality."

They studied me. I didn't know what they were trying to find, but it was interesting to watch them watch me. "Nico doesn't understand," I said after a while.

"He'll be okay," Clara told me. "Camp Half-Blood takes in a lot of young kids. They did that for my sisters, Ruby and Diamond. And Renee and I were only ten and eleven when we first came."

"Annabeth was only six," Percy added.

"I hope we find them. They're lucky to have friends like you." I meant it.

"A lot of good it did them," Percy complained.

Clara looked like she was going to cry. "She always had my back. She saved my life at least three times. And the one time we had a plan, I ditched her. And look at what happened!"

"Don't blame yourselves. You risked your lives to save Nico and me when you didn't even know us. That's seriously brave. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have felt okay leaving Nico at the camp. But I figured with people like you there, Nico would be fine. You two are good people."

I noticed Zoё and Thalia heading back. As always, they seemed to be arguing about something. Percy and Clara noticed them too.

"So, what's your story?" Clara asked. "You and Nico…."

I told them what I remembered, leaving out the part about the Lotus Casino and the three people. I was trying to figure it out. Percy had looked familiar to me. I wasn't completely sure, but I thought he might have been one of them.

"So you've been watching Nico your whole life?" Clara asked. "Wow."

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to be a Hunter. I know it sounds selfish, but I really did want to have my own friends and not have him influence my life too much."

"I understand," Clara told me sincerely. "Well, I mean, not really, but I have five brothers in my adoptive family, and I was always defined by my four older ones. And then people didn't think I was their sister because I was adopted and looked nothing like them. So yeah, I get it."

I nodded absently. Zoё had reached us, and Thalia wasn't so far behind. She handed us pastries and hot chocolate. And then I made the mistake of looking around.

"I smell them," a voice said through clacking teeth.

"You're a good tracker," said another.

I looked at the others, but they didn't seem to have heard. "Um, guys," I muttered. "We need to go."

The next few moments were a blur for me. Clara, Zoё, and I shot arrows in every direction, while Percy slashed Riptide. Thalia ran around with her spear. I knew the skeletons wouldn't die, but I guess everyone agreed that it was better to fight anyway.

Then, something happened. I managed to hit one of the skeletons in the stomach, and it dissolved in a pile of ashes. Percy looked at me strangely. "How did you do that?"

I was suddenly very uncomfortable. "Um….lucky shot, I guess?"

"Well, do it again," Percy said, but it appeared Clara had other plans. She had given up on her arrows and was flinging sunbeams at the skeletons, but she was looking in our direction.

She tossed one in the air, and I caught it. "Hop on!" She yelled, flinging another one in Thalia and Zoё's general direction. "Come to me."

She zoomed around on her own sunbeam, then reached out to grab mine. She quickly tied it in a knot, and then we sped to the others. I didn't have time to think about it. "Close your eyes, I can handle it!" Clara gasped. Percy and Thalia exchanged a look, but Clara was powering ahead.

"Clara, it's not a good idea, remember last summer-"

Clara gave Percy a glare that made me shiver. "I. Can. Handle. It."

I closed my eyes like she had suggested. I didn't really like the feeling of traveling on something this hot, fast, and bright.

We landed within a few minutes. This town was even worse than Cloudcroft, it had a taco shop that looked like it had been closed for at least ten years. There was a road, and not much else. In the distance, there was a giant junkyard.

A sports car pulled up, and I knew it was probably a god. There would be nobody else here. I felt intense anger at the man who stepped out, and I tried to identify who he was based on Nico's Mythomagic figurines and cards.

"Ares," Percy growled.

I raised my bow and saw the others doing the same with their weapons. "This is a friendly meeting." He snapped his fingers, and our weapons fell at our feet. I felt powerless in the face of Ares.

"Normally, I would be more than happy to take your head for a trophy. But I never behead in front of a lady, it would make me look bad."

"What lady?" Clara snapped, but she looked dazed.

"I doubt she wants to speak with the rest of you. Percy, come."

Thalia and I exchanged a glance, but right then, Clara swooned on top of Zoё. "Go. I'll be fine," Percy muttered.

I ran to Clara and Zoё. "What happened?"

"She just….collapsed."

"Overexerted herself," Thalia supplied. "I've seen it before. Well, sort of."

"What should we do?" I was really worried.

"Um…." She dug around in her bag. "I was recovering from being a tree last time. Gods, I wish Renee were here.

Zoё looked thoughtful. "Clara is a daughter of Apollo. They are the healers. We should check her backpack for a way to contact one of her sisters."

Thalia was actually smiling at Zoё, and it looked weird. "She'll have Will in her address book! He lives in Colorado!"

Zoё scowled. "If it must be a boy, then it must." She sauntered over to the pay phone and Thalia had no choice but to follow her, considering she had Clara's bag. I stayed with Clara, hoping I could keep her from falling in the snow.

Her eyes fluttered. "Hannah was real," she mumbled before passing out again.

I looked over at her. Was that supposed to mean anything?

I didn't know how they could get Clara's friend to come on such short notice, but Thalia and Zoё returned looking triumphant. "He told his stepdad it was an emergency. He's going to fly him out in his helicopter."

"Perfect." We sat at a small picnic table and waited. Percy came over a few minutes later, looking irate.

"I imagine we have a good five minutes before Ares blasts us somewhere," Percy said grimly.

"What did you do?" Zoё asked cautiously.

"He has a longstanding feud with Ares," Thalia explained. "Clara's unconscious, and we're waiting for Will. We called him, his stepdad's bringing him in a helicopter."

"I hope it's not black." He took off his coat. "I bet we're headed for the graveyard. Here, double her up with this. Did she say anything?"

"She said, 'Hannah was real' before passing out again."

"This isn't good. Not as bad as last time, but she hasn't ever mentioned Hannah. We should go." It was getting light again.

"Where?"

"The graveyard before Ares blasts us there. Aphrodite warned us not to take anything."

"We'll follow you, but I need someone to help me with Clara."

"I'll hold her," Thalia promised. "Just go."

I gave her to Thalia and ran forward with Percy and Zoё. Something stopped me in my tracks. "That's a Hunter's bow!"

"Don't touch it!" Zoё hissed. "This is the junkyard of the gods."

"Junk?" I looked out at a tiara. "Some of this looks like real gold."

"It is," Thalia said, panting from Clara's dead weight as she caught up to us. "Everything is here for a reason, it's all broken or dangerous or defunct."

I looked around. "We need to get out of here," Percy muttered, looking at Clara, and then at a metal statue of….toes.

"Who….?" There were so many ways I could have finished that, but I just let the word hang in the air. There was no explanation needed.

I glanced down and saw something even more surprising than the Hunter bow. The one Mythomagic piece Nico didn't have! I squinted at it, trying to figure it out. Then, I slipped it into my pocket and ran to catch up with the others. We had almost made it out, and there was a red helicopter scanning the sky. I knew it must be Clara's friend Will.

There was a crash, and the toes were moving. I held the Mythomagic figurine closer to me. "Scatter!" Zoё called.

We ran, Percy in my direction. "It's Talos," Thalia called, struggling under the weight of Clara's still-unconscious body.

"Who?"

"He's one of Hephaestus' creations, but he's much too small….maybe a model?"

"Something was taken," Zoё whisper-shouted. "Bianca, did you take that Hunter's bow.

I shook my head vehemently. I would make sure we all got out of here alive, including the little figurine. I absolutely _had_ to give it to Nico. And Clara….she would likely die if we couldn't get her to Will and give her more ambrosia.

Everyone was fighting Talos, and someone was even shooting arrows from the red helicopter above us, but nothing seemed to work.

Percy stared at me, and I guess I had looked guilty or something. "Bianca, you took something."

I just blinked at him.

"That Hunter's bow."

"I already said I don't have it. And anyway, it's too late." I grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him directly out of the way of the robot's foot.

"Thanks. Too late? Bianca, whatever you took, throw it down!"

I didn't want to part with the figurine, but I knew we had no choice. I threw it down, and as I did I realized who the god was. Hades. He looked like Nico, just looking at it, and that's when I knew: I was a daughter of darkness, of the worst god imaginable. And I knew what I had to do.

"I need to find a way to get inside him!" I gasped to Percy

"That's insane! There's no way-"

"Help me," I pleaded. "And if I don't return, bring this to my brother for me."

"I should do it."

"No. I got us into this mess. I'll be the one to bring us out." I looked across the field. "Zoё, get it to raise its foot!"

Reluctantly, Percy helped me distract the robot. "Hey Junk Boy! Over here!"

The monster turned, about to crush Percy, and I jumped inside. I scrambled up the wires, going for the head or the arms; wherever the control mechanisms were. From as high as I was, I saw a golden body on the ground. Thalia had had to drop Clara in the fight, and Talos was headed right toward her.

I worked faster. I pulled a knob, and it jerked a leg. Another one; other leg. But I was losing control quickly. I curled the monster's hand into a fist and punched the metal in the face. I saw Percy cheering and Zoё running to help Thalia with Clara.

I hit myself in the face again, but I was having trouble. The monster would crash down on me soon, I realized. I was headed for the power lines, and there was nothing I could do. I had lost almost all control. I guess it was time to meet my father.

* * *

 **Omniscient POV**

Zoё and Thalia carried Clara, Percy not far behind them. They ran to a clearing, and the red helicopter was following them. Zoё sat down on a fallen tree. "She's gone."

Percy grimaced. "Maybe…."

"She's _gone_ , Percy Jackson! This was exactly how it was supposed to happen!"

"W-what?"

Clara sat bolt upright. "One shall be lost in the land without rain," she whispered.

Will Solace hopped out of the helicopter, running toward his sister. He was worried; if this was anything like the last time….could his little sister, his Miss Sunshine even finish her quest? Or would Will have to take her back to his place in Colorado?

"It's all my fault," Clara moaned, and Will felt queasy. He sprinted towards his sister, wishing he had her sunbeam powers.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Welcome to another episode of Celia-doesn't-know-what-she's-doing-land! I really just had to put this in Bianca's point of view because I was just bored of this part of**_ _ **Titan's Curse**_ _**and I wanted to to a subtle time skip. I just want to get back to Hogwarts honestly, but I know I have to finish this since I've basically created the whole scene differently than it happened at all in the book. So I'm sorry if this chapter kind of sucked.**_

 _ **More Clara and actually interesting stuff where I sort of know what I'm doing to come, but I start school in two days, so I don't know how much more I can easily do.**_

 _ **Please review!**_

 ** _~Celia_**


	53. That Dam Cow

_**A/N: Hey look it's a chapter! Welcome back to Celia-doesn't-know-what-she's-doing-land!**_

* * *

 **Clara POV**

I really, _really_ hated Morpheus. He sent me terrifying dreams and back-of-my-mind memories when I was in my worst moments. I hated Apollo too, for the part of me that went out after I overexerted myself. Being the god of the sun, he gave me sunbeams, but being the god of health, he gave me the need to shut down sometimes.

I woke up and took in my surroundings. There appeared to have been a struggle at a junkyard, which we were about ten yards past. There was a red helicopter a few feet away from us, and Will Solace was there. I glanced at the group, who were talking in low voices. But something was amiss, although I couldn't place it.

"Maybe…." Percy said.

"No," breathed Zoё. "It happened exactly as it was supposed to."

"What?" Percy muttered.

I realized what was wrong. "One shall be lost in the land without rain," I whispered. "This is all my fault!"

"Clara-" Zoё's tone was stern, and Will was sprinting toward us. "It is not thy fault."

"If I hadn't tied our sunbeams together-"

"Then we'd all be dead to those skeletons."

"They have Hannah with Renee and Annabeth."

The three exchanged a look. "Hannah?"

"She was my friend, from before I met Renee and Juniper. And for some reason, she's there."

Will reached us. "Has she been given ambrosia and nectar?" He practically shoved the remedy down my throat. "Is it like last time?"

Percy started to say something, but I cut him off. "I get….visions. They help me make sense of things, but I feel like there's always a missing piece. They help me bridge the two worlds, but there's always a gap." I looked at Will. " _You're_ an Apollo, Will. Have you ever had anything like this?"

Will, Percy, and Thalia exchanged an uncomfortable glance. "Has Chiron ever told you the full extent of your role in the prophecy?" Will said at last.

"Other than that I'm the accomplice, no. Is this….bad?"

"It's certainly not comforting."

I stood up. "We need to go. There could be more skeletons. Come on!" I was getting ready to throw a sunbeam, but Thalia sent a shock at me with just her eyes.

"I was there last year when this happened. You took _two weeks_ to recover, and then Renee told me you didn't use another one until you were on the train with that _creature_. So it took you that long before you used another one. We should just…." Thalia puzzled it over. We knew we couldn't wait much longer.

"I do not wish to travel in the company of men," Zoё said. "But since Percy Jackson joined us it cannot be helped, so you are just one more. Can we not use thy flying machine?"

Will looked at her strangely. "Zoё Nightshade. What's got the Hunters traveling with demigods?"

"Lady Artemis is missing," Zoё snapped. "And I would _request_ that you learn more about the Hunters before judging us."

"You don't intimidate me, Zoё."

"Maybe now is not the time," Percy warned, but I was intrigued. How could a guy like Will _not_ be intimidated by a beautiful, powerful girl like Zoё?

"The offer still stands, William Solace. But I must ask again, will you give us the use of thy flying machine?"

"Where do you need to go?" Will asked after a long pause.

We thought for a second, and then Thalia spoke up. "I don't really want to do this," she said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. "But I think we might find some help at Hoover Dam."

We all looked at each other and knew what the others were thinking. Going to Hoover Dam would be great, but not without Annabeth.

Finally, Zoё spoke up. "We shall find her, and Renee Sanderson as well. Let us retreat, before the skeleton warriors track us." She made to climb into the helicopter, but Percy stopped in his tracks. "I can't fly."

"You're with me," Thalia said simply. "That cancels out your father's side. Trust me, I've traveled by water enough times to know."

Percy nodded uneasily. "Let's go, then."

* * *

Thalia helped Will and his stepfather navigate in the cockpit while Percy, Zoё, and I squeezed in the back. I wanted to talk to them about my episode and the prophecy, but Zoё was scarily quiet.

"What happened to Bianca wasn't your fault," Percy said at last. "It was my fault. I let her go." I figured he was just telling her that to make her yell at him again; they both seemed like they needed it.

Zoё buried her face in her hands. "I pushed her to go on the quest. She was a powerful demigod with a kind heart as well. I….I thought she would be the next lieutenant."

"You doubt yourself?" It came out harsher than I'd meant it to, but her words sounded strangely like what I'd said to Ruby and Diamond before I left on this quest.

She was very pale, and she gripped the strap of her quiver as she spoke. "Nothing can last forever. Over two thousand years I have led the Hunt, and my wisdom has not improved. Now that Artemis herself is in danger…."

"Look, you can't blame yourself for that," Percy consoled. I had to agree.

"If I had insisted on going with her-"

I had to put my foot down. "Zoё, if you think you could have stopped something powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? Even if you had ten times the magic Renee and I do, it wouldn't be enough."

Percy turned Riptide (in pen form, of course) over in his hand. I pulled out my keychain bow nervously. Zoё eyed Percy wearily.

"You made this," Percy muttered.

"Who told thee?'

"I saw it in a dream." I was surprised and slightly upset. Percy always told me his dreams.

They began to talk about his sword, and I listened as Zoё explained her life story. She had been betrayed by her family for helping a hero, but she wouldn't speak his name. "I am sure you know him. I was written out of his history and all history. All male heroes hope to be like him, but they do not know him."

I pondered that. Who was a hero that most people knew and admired, but was a jerk to women?

"We're descending," Thalia called over the speakers. I popped a piece of gum in my mouth and hoped for a smooth landing. Of course, we had Thalia, so that would help.

I looked over at the sea of tourists. Why _had_ Thalia thought it was a good idea to come here?

As we landed, I thought of Annabeth and Renee and their looming deadline. I hoped Thalia was right about us being able to find help here.

Will helped everyone out of the helicopter. I was last, and he pulled me aside. "I'm going to head back soon and check on the Apollo cabin. If we can't get Chiron to give us the prophecy, we'll go to Dad. You need to do the best you can to be prepared, and that includes knowing what you're up against. I'll convince my dad to let me stay until you get back, even if that means I'm missing another _wonderful_ Solace family Christmas." He winked at me.

"What's that mean?"

"Susie and Sam always cry and fight over gifts, and I'm left to sort it out because I'm the only one who can calm them down. I'm serious, my mom and stepdad have no control over them. They'll probably say Santa was late and just celebrate after I get back if I need to miss it, but right now you and the Apollo cabin are a _little_ more important."

"Thanks, Will. On my list of favorite brothers, you're definitely up there." I embraced him, forcing myself not to think that I might not see him again.

"Now go. Save the world, Clara." He looked beyond me to where Zoё was tapping her foot impatiently.

"What happened between you and Zoё?" I blurted without thinking.

"Later." He rolled his eyes. "Your friends are waiting."

* * *

We climbed up the steps. "I need to get to the dam snack bar," Zoё said. Percy and I made an effort not to look at each other. I knew Zoё's colloquial English wasn't her fault, but even so.

Thalia smirked. "The dam snack bar?"

Zoё narrowed her eyes. "Was that funny?"

"I could some dam french fries," Percy said, smiling.

"I need to use the dam restroom," I laughed, pretending not to notice Zoё's perplexion.

"I want to find the dam water fountain," Thalia said through bursts of laughter. I'd have to remember to explain it to Zoё later.

"I want….to get….a dam T-Shirt," I said, barely able to speak for laughing.

"Mooo."

I glanced at the others. Thalia was radiant, but Percy's expression had gone from jubilant to confused. "Did I just hear….a cow?"

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," I said quickly. "I'm serious." Percy had gone white.

 _Lady, I must speak with you._ The voice was inside my head, and only I seemed to be hearing it.

"You guys go on ahead," Percy said to us. "I need a minute to….figure something out."

"I'll stay with you. We can meet at the food court."

Thalia and Zoё looked skeptical, but after a bit of urging, they finally left.

"It spoke to me," I said once the others were finally gone.

"Spoke?"

"Gods, Percy, you're so slow sometimes. You think your father's sacred animals are the only ones that can have a human connection?"

"You've never mentioned being able to understand cows."

"Ever since I was little and we would go out in the country, I could hear them gossipping about milk and which grass was good. My brothers thought I was crazy, but once I realized my heritage, I understood what was going on." I was running to keep up with Percy; my short legs weren't built for walking fast.

We reached the water's edge and I saw a baby cow staring out at us. Percy frowned. "Bessie?"

"You've met?"

"Moo!"

"But that doesn't make any sense," Percy muttered. "Long Island is thousands of miles away. How did you get here?"

"Moo!"

"Percy, let me try. It said it had to talk to me."

Percy nodded and made sure none of the mortals saw anything suspicious. The cow-serpent banged its head against the wall.

"He wants us to follow him."

"We don't have time with Zoё and Thalia-" I felt a shiver down my spine and pulled out my keychain instinctively. Percy grabbed my hand. "Sunbeam, now! We need to go!"

I knew immediately that the second batch of skeleton warriors were here. I tossed a beam to Percy and then created one for myself. I gripped my wand in one hand and my bow in the other as I dove into the air. I knew Percy and Thalia wouldn't let me risk using sunbeams to both fight _and_ escape at the same time, so I put them to their original use.

Almost as soon as we got close, we were surrounded. Percy grabbed my hand and pulled me into a crowd. The security guard yelled at us, but we couldn't stop. Where _were_ Thalia and Zoё?

Somehow, we ended up in the elevator with a tour group. "Don't worry, ladies and gentlemen, this hardly ever breaks," the guide was saying, oblivious to the fact that we were fleeing.

"Does this go to the snack shop?" Percy asked in a rush.

"To the turbines, young man. Weren't you listening to the wonderful video upstairs?"

"Oh, um, sure," he muttered. "Is there another way out."

The lady gave him a piercing stare, and I wondered if she was mortal. "It's a dead end," a tourist said, rolling his eyes. "Kids these days. The only way out is the elevator."

He looked to be about twenty, only a few years older than us. I rolled my eyes; this guy was practically in my same _generation_.

The elevator came to a stop, and it appeared we'd have to go on a dam tour.

"Now," said the guide, "you'll meet your guide for this next part around the corner."

She kept her piercing eyes on us the whole time. Once everyone else had left, she called out to us. "And young man, there is always a way out if you are clever enough to find it."

The second elevator opened, and I heard the distinct clatter of skeleton teeth. I conjured a sunbeam and grabbed Percy's hand, he had understood too. We sped to catch up with the rest of the tour, careful to avoid the turbines.

"That hallway," Percy said. "We need to make a plan."

I steered us toward the bathrooms where he was pointing. As we landed, I heard a sharp _Chh_ , like the voice of a skeleton. I immediately pressed my keychain and Percy clicked Riptide. He stabbed at her.

Her, I realized, _not_ a skeleton warrior. _Oh_.

"Oh my god!" She yelped. "Do you always try to kill people when they blow their nose?"

I gave a sigh of relief and lowered my bow. "You're mortal," I said after realizing she hadn't even gotten a scrape.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean? Of course I'm mortal. And how did you get those past security?"

"What, this keychain and pen?" I asked innocently. Percy's mouth hung open, and I could understand his shock. Mortals weren't supposed to see through the Mist that we had weapons.

"You people are crazy." The girl rolled her eyes, which were almost the same color as Harry's. Her frizzy red curls bounced as she spoke. She was wearing an oversized Harvard sweater, and that made me feel somehow better. I preferred slightly bigger clothes as well.

"You can see it's a sword?" Percy asked, finally regaining his voice.

"Well, it's either a sword and a bow, or the largest set of toothpicks I've ever seen." She glared at us.

Percy looked thoughtful, and then he waved his hand and snapped his fingers. I figured he was attempting to bend the Mist, but he didn't seem to be doing a great job. "You don't see a sword. It's a ballpoint pen."

"Weirdo. Are you with him?" It took me a second to realize she was talking to me, but it didn't matter, because she was firing questions at us. "Who are you? And why didn't that sword hurt me? I mean, not that I'm complaining, but….And is that real lion fur?"

I looked over at Percy's prize, but it still looked like a university sweatshirt to me.

"Who are _you_?" I asked. This girl was freaking me out.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Now, do you want to explain anything, or should I call security?"

I willed Percy to stay quiet, hoping he'd understand even if I didn't say anything. "Please. We're in a hurry. In trouble."

"In a hurry or in trouble?"

"Both. Please, Rachel."

"You." She motioned to Percy. "Bathroom! Behind me!" she whispered.

Percy started to protest, but I practically shoved him in. They were looking for _him_ , not me. I pulled up an image of Renee, hoping thinking of her and her charmspeak would help me be more persuasive.

Three skeleton warriors came running at us, now in Colorado state police uniforms. Rachel started talking in her rapid-fire way. "Oh my god! Did you see that kid? It's about time you got here! He tried to kill me! Somehow snuck a sword in and everything."

They looked at me. "I saw it all," I lied, surprised about how smoothly the words came. "She sneezed, and he tried to stab her. I think he went that way."

The skeletons nodded and ran off. "Thank you," I breathed. Percy had stepped out again, and I realized we didn't have much time.

"What were those things? They looked like…." Rachel shuddered.

"Skeletons," I finished her sentence for her.

"Look," Percy added, wiping the sweat off her brow. "Forget any of this ever happened."

"Forget you tried to kill me?"

"Yeah, that too," I said quickly. "Please don't tell anyone, either."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she said, bewildered. "But who are you?"

"Percy-" the skeletons turned around at the sound of his name. "Gotta go!" We sprinted.

"What kind of name is Percy Gotta-go," she called after us. I felt really bad. She'd never know….

* * *

The cafeteria was packed with kids on group trips. Thalia and Zoё were just sitting down to their food.

"We have to go!"

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia complained.

"She is right," Zoё said, looking over her shoulder. We followed her gaze.

There they were, right at the door. We wouldn't be able to outrun them. Within minutes, we were surrounded. All of them were accounted for, at every exit, except for the one Bianca had destroyed.

Suddenly, I thought of something. It was stupid, and much more like something Ron would do than me, or anyone else I knew. "Burrito fight!" I yelled. Thalia got it right away, and she launched hers like a grenade at the nearest skeleton.

I'd never realized this, but if you want a lethal weapon, you should really try a burrito. Thalia's aim knocked the skeleton's head clear off its shoulders. I have no idea what the other kids saw, but everyone went wild, throwing all the food they could get their hands on. There were skeletons with burritos lodged in their bones and covered in condiments. We sprinted, but they were gaining on us.

I tried to think about what Hermione would do, and when that didn't work I focused on Renee instead. Suddenly, I noticed something glaringly bright. "Wow, their feet are really shiny," I said, looking at the metal statues.

"Now is not the time," Zoё reprimanded, but Percy seemed to understand something that the rest of us didn't. "Thalia, pray to your dad."

"He never listens."

"Just this once. I think….those statues. Look at how shiny they are; Clara's right. They're good luck. Zeus's blessing."

Thalia grumbled. "He won't answer."

"This time is different!"

"Who says?"

Words rang in my ears. _There is always a way out if you know how to find it_. "Athena, I think." I said.

Thalia raised her eyebrows. The skeletons were fifty feet away….forty feet…. "Fine," she grumbled, and started moving her lips. Percy started praying as well, presumably to Athena. I put in a prayer to my own father as well. I didn't know if it would do anything, but it was worth a shot.

Nothing happened, and we prepared to die. We readied our weapons, expecting the worst.

A shadow fell over us, and I glanced up. We were covered by an enormous wing. The skeletons looked up too late, and with a flash of bronze they were swept away.

Another skeleton opened fire, and the bronze angel shielded us, bullets ricocheting off his armor. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

The angels looked down at their feet. "What were those tourists thinking?" One said hoarsely.

"Man, it feels good to stand up," replied the other, not seeming to care as much about the state of his toes. Across the road, the skeletons were already reforming.

"Trouble," Percy muttered.

"You have to get us out of here," Thalia demanded.

The angels looked down at her. "Zeus's kid?"

"Yes!"

"Could I get a please, Miss Zeus's kid?"

"Please!" Thalia screamed, glancing over at the zombielike skeletons.

The angels looked over at each other and shrugged. "I could use a stretch," one decided, and the next thing I knew, one angel had scooped up Percy and Zoё, while Thalia and I were flying safely in the other one's wing.

"Tell me when it's over," Thalia muttered, her eyes shut tight. She shuddered.

"You'll be fine."

"How high are we?"

I looked down at the tiny specks of mountains and decided it would be best to lie. "Not that high."

"We are in the Sierras," Zoё yelled from her statue. "I have hunted here before. At this speed we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."

The angels looked at each other, wearing identical grins. "Hey, hey, Frisco!" said the one carrying us. "Yo Chuck, we should visit those statues at the mechanics monument again, they know how to party!"

I didn't know whether to be more surprised that they had visited San Francisco or that they had names.

"You've been to San Francisco?" Percy called.

"A statue's gotta have fun sometimes, right?" his angel said. "Those mechanics took us over to the de Young Museum, and there were these lady statues, see, and-"

"Hank, they're kids," reprimanded Chuck.

I suppressed a laugh. Zoё had seen everything, and I'd seen Renee shove her tongue down Gill's throat….just a few days ago. I didn't expect metal statues could have anything to tell that was worse. And speaking of Renee….

* * *

I sighed, breathing the sea air. San Francisco. Please tell me we would find Renee and Annabeth here. The city was more beautiful than Hogwarts. I had seen it in pictures, but never like this. I thought maybe I should send a postcard. _Greetings from Frisco. Haven't died yet. Wish you were here_.

"Where do you want to land?" Hank asked, jolting Percy out of a nap.

"There," Zoё suggested. "By the Embarcadero Building."

"Good thinking," said Chuck. "Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons."

We stared at them.

"Kidding," Chuck said quickly. "Sheesh, can't statues have a sense of humor?"

As it turned out, there wasn't much need to blend in. It was early morning and not many people were around. We freaked out a homeless guy on the pier, who ran away yelling something about metal angels from Mars. Other than that, though, we arrived unannounced.

We said our goodbyes to the statues, and I realized that none of us had any idea what to do next.

We had made it to the West Coast. Artemis was here somewhere, hopefully with Annabeth, Renee, and-my stomach lurched-Hannah. I hadn't thought of her since second grade, when I met Juniper. But somehow, she had appeared in my dreams.

Tomorrow was the winter solstice. We had no clue of the monster Artemis had been hunting. It was supposed to show _us_ the trail, but it never did. Now we were stuck on the ferry dock with not much money, no friends, and no luck.

After a brief discussion, we all agreed that the next step was to find this monster.

"We have to seek out Nereus," Percy said. "That's what Apollo told me."

I rounded on him. "You saw my father?"

Percy looked uncomfortable.

"You saw my _father_ and didn't think to tell me?" I didn't know why this was making me so upset, but it was. "When?"

"On the train. He was that homeless guy."

"You have _got_ to be kidding me, Percy. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I….I didn't think it was important?" He said it with a kind of question to his voice.

"Oh, go jump in the ocean," I muttered, and Zoё and Thalia smirked a little at my insult.

"Old Nereus, eh," Zoё mused.

"Do you know him?"

"My mother was a sea goddess, Percy. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately, he is never hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"Come. I will show thee," she said without enthusiasm. She led him to a Goodwill drop-off box.

"Really?" Percy asked indignantly five minutes later, when Zoё had him outfitted in a flannel shirt three sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

"Oh yeah," I said, trying not to burst out laughing. "You'll look completely inconspicuous now. And hey, it serves you right for not telling me about my father."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Remind me why I'm doing this again?"

"I told thee," Zoё said impatiently, "to blend in." She led the way back down to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching the docks, she stopped in her tracks and pointed at a bunch of homeless guys huddled under blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch.

"He will be somewhere down there. He likes to sun himself during the daytime."

"How will I know which one's him?"

"He will smell….different."

"Great," Percy muttered, looking grossed out at the thought. "And once I find him?"

"Grab on. He will do anything he can to get rid of you, but hold on tight. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell you about the monster.

Thalia smiled. "We've got your back." She picked a piece of fuzz off his back that came from who-knows-where. "Ew. On second thought, I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

We watched as he went down to the docks. After a few minutes, he seemed to find the right guy. A struggle ensued, and then I heard him yell, "not the water!"

I gasped as they went tumbling in, and a sunbeam appeared in my hands without my even having to think about it. A few moments later, they emerged, Percy holding the dorsal fin of a killer whale. A bunch of tourists cheered, and I laughed in spite of myself.

"Why won't you drown," Nereus wailed.

Percy grinned triumphantly. "I'm Poseidon's kid."

"Ugh. Curse that upstart! I was here first!"

Nereus thrashed around fruitlessly for a few more seconds before giving in. When we saw he was done fighting, we ran down the steps of the pier.

"You got him!" Zoё said, pumping her fist in the air.

Percy grimaced. "You don't have to sound so amazed."

Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful, an audience for my humiliation. The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"We have more than one question."

Nereus cackled. "Only one question per capture! That's the rule!"

The four of us exchanged looks. I wanted to ask about Annabeth and Renee, and I knew Percy did too. At the same time, there was Olympus to contend with, and Artemis. Percy seemed to realize we couldn't tell him what to do.

"All right, Nereus," he sighed. "Tell us where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth. "Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there."

"Where?"

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and backflipped into the sea.

"You tricked me!" Percy yelled.

Thalia, however, was looking at the sea. "What is _that_?"

Before I had a chance to react, there was a loud "MOOOOOOOOO!"

"Bessie?" Percy exclaimed. "Not now."

"Mooo"

Percy glanced at me. "He says his name isn't Bessie," I translated. I laughed, fully understanding my regular Apollo power. "He says his name is the Ophiotaurus."

"The Ophio-what now?"

"It means serpent bull in ancient greek," Thalia told us. "But what's it doing here?"

"Moooooo!"

They looked at me for another translation. "He says Percy is his protector. He's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

"Wait," Zoё mused. "You know this cow?"

Percy impatiently explained the story, most of which I didn't know either. That made me kind of annoyed. Percy and I had always acted as a hive mind, and now there were at least two important things he'd neglected to tell me.

"Anything _else_ you've forgotten to tell me, Percy?"

Zoё interrupted us before we could really get into it. "I'm a fool. I know this story."

"What story?"

"From the War of the Titans. My….my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we're looking for."

"Bessie?" Percy asked in shock. "But….he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

Zoё shook her head. "That is how we were wrong. We've been anticipating a huge, dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," I muttered.

Percy patted him on the head, trying to calm the cow-serpent down. "How could anyone hurt him? He's harmless!"

"Yes, but there is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed it's entrails to the fire would have the power to overthrow the gods."

"MMMMM!"

"Um, maybe we should avoid _entrails_ too." I said.

Thalia stared at the beast with wonder. "The power to overthrow the gods? I mean, how would that work?"

"No one knows," Zoё said quickly. "The first time, during the Titan War, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could reach the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the monster is reborn."

Thalia made her way over to Bessie. Her expression bothered me. She almost looked….hungry.

"We have to protect him," I spoke up. "If Luke gets ahold of him…."

"He wouldn't hesitate." Thalia seemed surprised at what she had just said. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's….that's huge."

"Yes it is, my dear," said a voice with a heavy French accent. "And it is a power _you_ shall unleash."

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged. I looked up in horror. We'd been so busy talking, we'd allowed ourselves to be ambushed.

Standing behind us, his two-colored eyes gleaming, was Dr. Thorne, the Manticore himself.

* * *

"This is just _pairrr-fect_ , the Manticore gloated.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble. Basically, he didn't look much better than the guys down at the homeless shelter.

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the Manticore continued. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests and devouring insignificant human farmers for a meal. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now, that will change! The Titans shall honor me, and I will feast on the flesh of half-bloods!

I knew that the people on the pier wouldn't stop Thorne from acting.

"Where….where are the skeletons?" Percy asked, stalling for time.

The Manticore laughed. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless. He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

I pictured the Ophiotaurus. Percy could jump into the water, but then where would that leave us? And how could he move quickly with a five hundred pound cow serpent, anyway?

Suddenly, I remembered the prophecy, and my role there. I recalled when Thalia had said her birthday was, and I gasped. " _But one day, leading up to the conflict, there's going to be a huge decision, probably involving at least one person you love."_ Chiron's words rang in my ears.

"We beat you once before," Percy reminded him.

"Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And alas….that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Zoё notched an arrow and aimed it straight at Thorne's head. I stepped in front of her. "Wait! Zoё, don't."

The Manticore smiled. "She's right, Zoё Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."

 _The prophecy….my decisions…._

"What are you talking about," Thalia growled. She readied her sword and spear, and I fingered my pocket to check on my keychain.

"Surely it is clear. This is your moment. _This_ is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

 _You are the prophecy accomplice. Your decisions will make or break Olympus, just as Thalia's will._

Thalia just looked stunned.

"You know it's the right choice," Thorne said silkily. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world under the auspices of the Titans. And on your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus!"

 _You have to save the cow. It's not just someone you love at stake, it's everyone. You have to save the cow!_

And without thinking, I jumped off the pier and into the ocean.

* * *

 _ **A/N: 5,500 words without author's notes and most of it is just me trying to figure out what in the world to do with this chapter (since August) but I hope you enjoyed this long-awaited chapter. I really want to thank**_ _ **Ana**_ _**for always being there for me during this process and being super encouraging with my writer's block, as well as for being my best reader, and I don't know what I would do without her in my life.**_

 _ **Please review and tell me what you thought and if there's anything you'd like to see for the rest of Titan's Curse (my hardest book by far). Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **~Celia**_


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